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THE MAIDEN QUEEN. 




THE QUEEN IN HER CORONATION ROBES. 



Queen Victoria 

HER GLORIOUS LIFE 

AND 

ILLUSTRIOUS REIGN 



BY 



THOMAS W. HANDFORD, A. M., LL. D. 

Assisted by an Efficient Editorial Corps 



A FASCINATING NARRATIVE 

OF THE REIGN OF 

ENGLAND'S MOST ILLUSTRIOUS SOVEREIGN 

An inspiring portrayal of the lamented Monarch of Europe's 

mightiest Empire, showing her wonderful charac- , 

ter as a Queen, her loyalty as a wife, 

her devotion as a mother, 

and her graciousness 

as a woman. 

Embracing a complete description of her birth and ancestry, 
her marriage and coronation, her domestic happi- 
ness and bereavements, the beauty of 
her declining years, her 
death and burial. 

PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED 



FRANKLIN PRINTING & PUBLISHING COMPANY 
1901 



Obf^py of Concrresa! 

FEB 11 1901 

ry- Copyngftt aatry 

SECOND COPY 



Copyright. 1901, by P. D. Fenn 



Table of Contents. 



CHAPTER I. PAGE 

Birth and Parentage 9 

CHAPTER II. 
Happy Days of Childhood 19 

CHAPTER III. 
The Romance of Maidenhood $s 

CHAPTER IV. 
Exit King William IV 48 

CHAPTER V. 
Summoned to the Throne 53 

CHAPTER VL 
Proclaimed Queen 65 

CHAPTER VII. 
Among Her Loyal People 74 

CHAPTER VIII. 

England in 1837 84 

iii 



iv CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER IX. 
The Coronation 94 

CHAPTER X. 
The Maiden Queen 117 

CHAPTER XI. 
Prince Albert Comes to Woo 129 

CHAPTER XII. 
Preparations for the Royal Nuptials. ......... 149 

CHAPTER XIIL 
The Royal Wedding 158 

CHAPTER XIV. 
Early Married Life , 198 

CHAPTER XV. 
Shadows in the Palace.*. 213 

CHAPTER XVI. 
The Darkness Deepens . . . 221 

CHAPTER XVII. 
Death of Prince Albert 228 

CHAPTER XVIII. 
The Widowed Queen 246 



CONTENTS. V 

CHAPTER XIX. pA^jj 

Busy in the Midst of Sorrow 254 

CHAPTER XX. 
Cloud and Sunshine 273 

CHAPTER XXI. 
The Tichborne Case 281 

CHAPTER XXII. 
Life's Bitter-Sweet 286 

CHAPTER XXIII. 
Gordon the Hero of Khartoum 310 

CHAPTER XXIV. 
The Queen's Jubilee 319 

CHAPTER XXV. 
The Years that Went Between 328 

CHAPTER XXVI. 
The Diamond Jubilee 335 

CHAPTER XXVII. 
The Prince and Princess of Wales 361 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 
The Cypress and the Orange Wreath 400 



vi CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XXIX. page 

The Princess Royal 413 

CHAPTER XXX. 
The Princess Alice v 427 

CHAPTER XXXI. 
Members of the Royal Household 435 

CHAPTER XXXII. 
The Passing of Leopold 447 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 
The Condition of Ireland 463 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 
Royal Visits to Ireland ♦ . » 468 

CHAPTER XXXV. 
Mr. Gladstone and the Irish Church 475 

CHAPTER XXXVI. 
The Smitten Monarch 483 

CHAPTER XXXVII. 
The Last Sad Rites 491 



List of Illustrations, 



The Maiden Queen. 

The Queen in her Coronation Robes. 

Queen Victoria in 1837. 

The Bridal Morn — February 10, 1840. 

Queen Victoria in 1887. 

Queen Victoria in 1897. 

Queen Victoria — her last portrait. 

Four Generations of English Royalty. 

Prince Albert. 

Duke of Kent. 

Duchess of Kent. 

Prince and Princess of Wales. 

Prince of Wales in Citizen's Dress. 

Story's Celebrated Portrait of the Prince of Wales. 

King Edward VII. 

A Distinguished Group. 

Duke of Saxe-Coburg, Princeof Wales, Duke of York. 

Princess Royal. 

Princess Beatrice. 

Duke of Connaught. 

Duke and Duchess of York and Royal Bridesmaids. 



viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Duke of York. 

Duchess of York. 

Children of Duke and Duchess of York. 

Front View of Windsor Castle. 

Osborne House, Isle of Wight. 

Jubilee Procession— The Queen's Carriage drawn by 
the famous cream-colored horses. 

Jubilee Procession— Showing the Queen in her car- 
riage, followed by the Prince of Wales, Duke of 
York, and others. 

Jubilee Procession— The Queen in front of St. Paul's 
Cathedral. 

Interior of Albert Memorial Chapel. 

Coronation Chair and Stone of Destiny. 

The Queen's Remains Guarded by a Detachment of 
the Household Guards. 



CHAPTER I. 

BIRTH AND PARENTAGE OF QUEEN 
VICTORIA. 

Her Gracious Majesty, Queen Victoria, was bom 
at Kensington Palace, London, early on the morning 
of the 24th of May, 1819. She was the only child of 
Edward, Duke of Kent, and Her Serene Highness, 
Victoria Mary Louise, daughter of the Duke of Saxe- 
Coburg — Saalfield, widow of Enrich Charles, Prince 
of Leiningen, and sister of Prince Leopold. 

Queen Victoria came to a beautiful world, at the 
most beautiful period of the year. The rain was all 
over and gone, and the singing of birds was heard in 
the land. Countless poets, from Chaucer to the 
singers of this later time, have sung in happy measures 
the glories of the English 'May-time; and it is not to 
be wondered at that a loyal, loving people should 
think of this royal babe of Kensington as "England's 
Sweet May-flower," the name her royal grandmother 
of Coburg gave her. 

This little child was born not far from the throne, 
and there were many thoughtful people who had 
grown tired of the Georges and the Georgian age, who 
cherished the hope that she might live to wear the 
Crown of England ; but there were none, so charged 
with prophetic dreams, as to be bold enough to pre- 
dict that that little hand would sway the sceptre of 
the mightiest Empire of the earth for more than three 
score years. 

9 



10 BIRTH AND PARENTAGE. 

The infant Princess, the fair "May-flower" of that 
year of grace 1819, came to her royal state rich in a 
pedigree of old renown. She was the undoubted legal 
successor of the Monarchs of a thousand years. In 
her veins ran the blood of Saxon, and Norman, and 
English princes, from the far-away days of Alfred the 
Great. The connecting links were mostly women. 
The wise and worthy Matilda, wife of Henry I.;, united 
the Saxon and Norman race ; the daughter of Matilda 
brought in the Plantagenets ; the Tudor with Eliza- 
beth of York connected them with the Plantagenets. 
Margaret, sister of Henry VHI., united by marriage 
the Tudors and Stuarts. To the last of these houses, 
our Queen Victoria belongs. Saxon, Plantagenet, and 
Stuart. She is the lineal descendant of them all ! And 
Mr. Valentine most happily remarks : "Those who 
believe in heredity will notice with pleasure that the 
life of the Queen has shown much of the courage of 
the lion race of Plantagenet, of the sagacity of the 
Tudors, of the kindliness and grace of the Stuarts 
without their weaknesses. 

A table of the family of George HI. may be valuable 
just here, to those who are interested in questions of 
succession. 

The father of the Princess Victoria was Edward, 
Duke of Kent, the fourth son of George HI. The old 
King's living sons (two died young) were: 

1. George, Prince of Wales, who in 1795 married 
Carohne of Brunswick, his first cousin, and had only 
one child, the Princess Charlotte, who was married 
to Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, and died shortly 
afterwards, her child being born dead. 

2. Frederick, Duke of York, was married in 1791 



BIRTH AND PARENTAGE. 11 

to Princess Frederica, daughter of the King of Prus- 
sia. They had no children. 

3. William, Duke of Clarence, married Princess 
Adelaide of Saxe-Weiningen in 1818. Their two 
daughters died in infancy. 

4. Edward, Duke of Kent, was married in 1818, 
to the Princess Victoria Maria Louise of Saxe-Co- 
burg, sister to Prince Leopold, and widow of the 
Prince Leiningen, and had one child, Princess Vic- 
toria. 

5. Ernest, Duke of Cumberland, married Princess 
Fredericka of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, in 1815. This 
lady had been twice married. They had one son. 
Prince George, afterwards King George V. of Han- 
over. 

6. Augustus, Duke of Sussex, married to a sub- 
ject. His children could not succeed to the throne. 

7. Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, married in 1818 
Princess Augusta of Hesse-Cassel. Their children 
were — Prince George, now Duke of Cambridge ; 
Princess Augusta, married to the Duke of Mecklen- 
burg-Strelitz ; and Princess Mary, Duchess of Teck. 

Edward Augustus, father of Queen Victoria, was 
the fourth son of George HL and Queen Charlotte. 
He was born at Buckingham Palace, November 2d, 
1767. Life and death linked hands in the palace that 
day. Edward, Duke of York, was lying in state 
preparatory to his funeral on the 3d of November. 
On the 30th of the month the infant prince was chris- 
tened, receiving as his first name Edward in honor of 
his dead uncle. 

The Duke of Kent was never a favorite with his 
family. He was ill-treated and neglected. The days 



12 BIRTH AND PARENTAGE. 

of his youth were rough and unhappy. Most of the 
peasant boys of England were much happier than 
Prince Edward. He was the scapegoat of the family. 
The blame that fairly belonged to his brothers was 
laid on his shoulders. He was sent to Germany for 
military drill and kept on a contemptibly small allow- 
ance. He was always in debt and worried the minis- 
ters of that day by continual requests for supplies. 

Yet he managed to make very warm friends. He 
was genial and gentlemanly and kind. 

Referring in later years to the estrangement that 
existed between his royal father and himself, the 
Duke said : "Much of the sorrow of my after life may 
be ascribed to that most uncalled-for sojourn in the 
Electorate." 

There is little doubt but that the serious financial 
embarrassments that made the whole life of the Duke 
of Kent a struggle with comparative poverty, may be 
attributed to the ill-judged and almost wanton cruelty 
of those who had authority over him. He was, more- 
over, exceedingly unfortunate in having Dr. Fisher 
for his tutor. For this reverend pedagogue in all his 
dealings with his royal pupil treated him with the 
cruelty of a tyrant rather than with the kindness and 
consideration of a tutor. 

In May, 1786, he was made Colonel in the Army, 
and invested with the dignity of a Knight of the 
Garter. The next year he was sent to Geneva. In 
June, 1790, he returned home without permission. 
His royal father refused him an interview. 

He was sent to Gibraltar as its Military Governor, 
and entered upon its duties with great ardor. He be- 
came a very strict disciplinarian. Complaints found 



BIRTH AND PARENTAGE. 13 

their way to the Government in England, and the sol- 
diers, what few there were of them, broke out into 
open mutiny. The Prince was recalled, and came 
home to be looked upon as a sort of royal failure. 

In 1793 we find him at Quebec discharging the 
duties of a Major-General. From thence, at his own 
request, he went to join Sir Charles Grey in the West 
India Islands. He took a valiant part in the capture 
of Martinique and Santa Lucia, for which he re- 
ceived the thanks of Parliament. So for princes as 
for other men it seems to be true "All things come to 
him who waits." 

In 1799 he was created Duke of Kent and Strathern 
and Earl of Dublin. The same year he was appointed 
Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in Canada. 

The Duke of Kent was a man of profound convic- 
tions. He was a diligent and sincere student of all 
matters afifecting the social and political life of the 
nation. He entertained opinions that were extremely 
unpopular at Court ; but the truth of these opinions, 
and not their popularity or unpopularity, was to him 
the matter of supreme importance. He was as fearless 
in speech as he was independent in thought, and 
though he became the victim of the most bitter and 
unreasonable attacks on the part of his political 
opponents, he was generally held in very high esteem 
for his frankness and sincerity. At a public banquet 
in response to a toast given in his honor, he said : 

"I am a friend of civil and religious liberty all the 
world over. I am an enemy to all religious tests. I 
am a supporter of a general system of education. All 
men are my brethren, and I hold that power is only 
delegated for the benefit of the people. These are the 



14 BIRTH AND PARENTAGE. 

principles of myself and my beloved brother the Duke 
of Sussex. They are not popular opinions just now ; 
that is, they do not conduct to place or office." 

These were indeed remarkable words to fall from 
royal lips when the Nineteenth Century was only in 
its teens. Such a Duke was worthy to be the father 
of a Queen. 

Speaking of the Duke of Kent in the House of 
Commons in the year 1818, Lord Brougham said that 
"no man had set a brighter example of public virtue, 
no man had more beneficially exerted himself in his 
high station to benefit every institution with which the 
best interests of the country, the protection and edu- 
cation of the poor, were connected, than His Royal 
Highness the Duke of Kent." 

In 181 5 the Duke for the sake of economy went to 
live on the Continent, and here he met the lady who 
was destined to make one brief year of his troubled 
Hfe serene and happy. 

Queen Victoria's mother, the Princess Victoria 
Mary Louise, fourth daughter of Francis Frederick 
Anthony, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, and his 
wife Augusta, daughter of Henry, Count of Reuss- 
Ebersdorf, was born at Coburg, August 17th, 1786. 
When she was seventeen years of age she was married 
to Ernest Charles, Hereditary Prince of Leiningen, a 
widower, twenty years her senior. After eleven years 
the Prince died leaving his widow and two children; 
Prince Charles, who succeeded his father in 1814, and 
a daughter, the Princess Feodora, half-sister and com- 
panion of the Queen's early years. 

The Duke was most happy in his choice of a wife. 
Though a widow with two children, the Princess was 



BIRTH AND PARENTAGE. 15 

still young, and she was universally acknowledged to 
be a very handsome woman. She possessed great 
strength of mind. She began the real work of life 
while she was very young, and though she did not 
meet with a very enthusiastic welcome from the royal 
family or from the Court, she was destined to make 
for herself a most enviable place in the high esteem 
of England. She was worthy of much kindlier treat- 
ment than she received, for was she not the sister of 
that glorious Prince Leopold, who had endeared him- 
self so to the nation while the husband of the adored 
Princess Charlotte! 

The Duchess of Kent has been described as "a. 
duchess of duchesses : a duchess to her finger-tips." 
She was a most charming woman. Elegant in figure, 
with large expressive brown eyes and luxuriant brown 
hair. In manner she was gracious and dignified, but 
the virtues that shone most conspicuously in her 
character were domestic virtues. Womanly graces 
and mother devotion won for her universal esteem. 

The Duke at the time of his marriage was about 
fifty-eight years of age. A tall, stately gentleman, dis- 
posed somewhat to stoutness. The Duchess was a 
little over thirty, in the full bloom of her grace and 
beauty, a woman of rare ability, and not without 
considerable ambition, and with a wonderful faculty 
of holding her own, as the progress of this history 
will abundantly testify. 

The marriage of the Duke of Kent and the Princess 
Victoria took place at Coburg on the 29th of May, 
1818, and was repeated at Kew on the nth of June 
of the same year. Immediately after the ceremony 
the Duke and Duchess went abroad, and took up their 



16 BIRTH AND PARENTAGE. 

abode in the Castle of Amorbach, Bavaria, part of the 
inheritance of the Duchess's young son. Here some 
happy months were passed ; but when the expectation 
of a child came, the Duke grew desirous of returning 
to England, that his son or daughter might be British- 
born. He had a prophetic feeling that it would be the 
heir or heiress to the Crown. 

The Duke and Duchess were too poor to live in 
England. The Duke was as usual burdened with debt. 
He wrote to his royal brothers for a loan, — ^he told 
them he wanted to come home that the heir or heiress 
presumptive to the throne of England might be born 
on British soil. But that was the one reason above 
all others that led them to refuse. The condition of 
things was very critical; and if it had not been for 
the generous help of Mr. Alderman Wood — may his 
tribe increase — who advanced money to the troubled 
pair, Queen Victoria might have been born a French 
woman 1 

The royal pair were soon installed in apartments in 
Kensington Palace, which had for some time been 
given up to the use of the junior members of the royal 
family. 

The apartments occupied by the Duchess of Kent 
and the Princess Victoria were in the southeast por- 
tions of the palace, beneath the King's gallery. They 
are now unused ; but a visitor will find in one of the 
rooms on the principal floor, having three windows 
looking eastward over Kensington Gardens, a gilt 
plate upon the wall, with this inscription : 

"In this room Queen Victoria was born, May 24, 
1819." 

It was day-dawn, on that happy May morning of 




QUEEN VICTORIA IN 1837. 




THE BRIDAL MORN-FEBRUARY;!©, 1840. 



BIRTH AND PARENTAGE. 17 

1819, when the Queen was born. The clock had just 
struck four, the Hght of the early summer morning 
was breaking through the palace windows to greet 
the face of a little child. The birds were singing in 
the branches, the lark, away up in the cloudless 
heavens, was beating out a merry madrigal. The 
flowers were opening all their chalices at the wooing 
of the sun, and on the altar of the new-born day laid 
their oblation of fragrance and beauty. Queen Vic- 
toria was a daughter of the morning. Light and 
beauty waited at her palace-gates to bid her welcome. 
The birthday of the Queen was the birthday of a new 
era. It was four o'clock with England's morning — 
the Victorian age was born, the grandest age that 
England has seen in all her thousand years ! 

There was joy in the palace ! The mother-heart of 
the Duchess opened once again its fountains of solici- 
tude and love. The new life smiling at her side gave 
all life new, deep meanings. And if we may guess at 
the purpose of that morning from the story of her 
noble devotion to her royal daughter, she was resolv- 
ing that this little maiden should be brought up in 
such a manner as would make her worthy of being 
Queen of England. 

There was joy in the Palace ! The noble Duke was 
in ecstasies. A young father may be proud of his 
first-born, but he will moderate his raptures. But the 
Duke was not only glad. He rejoiced ! He exulted ! 
The spirit of prophecy came upon him, and he avowed 
that he had not the slightest doubt but that all in good 
time she would be "the August Sovereign of these 
realms !" And as he looked down on the little mite 



18 BIRTH AND PARENTAGE. 

of humanity in its royal cradle, he smiled as only an 
English Duke can smile. 

There was joy in London, and indeed throughout 
the whole nation. The bells rang merry peals. And 
in ten thousand homes the mothers, learning what 
hard work the Duchess had to have her baby born in 
England, just lifted up their hands in benediction and 
said : "God bless them both !" 

A distinguished prelate paid a visit to Kensington 
Palace and tells in a most pleasant manner of the 
serious delight the Duke took in all that concerned his 
little daughter. This was just before the family went 
to Sidmouth. The Prelate says : 

"On my rising to take leave, the Duke intimated 
it was his wish that I should see the infant Princess 
in her crib; adding, 'As it may be some time before 
we meet again, I should like you to see the child and 
give her your blessing.' The Duke preceded me into 
the little Princess's room, and on my closing a short 
prayer that as she grew in years she might grow in 
grace and favor both with God and man, nothing 
could exceed the fervor and feeling with which her 
father responded with an emphatic Amen. Then, 
with no slight emotion, he continued: 'Don't pray 
simply that hers may be a brilliant career, and exempt 
from those trials and struggles which have pursued 
her father, but pray that God's blessing may rest on 
her, that it may overshadow her, and that in all her 
coming years she may be guided and guarded by 
God.' " 



CHAPTER II. 



HAPPY DAYS OF CHILDHOOD. 

The sacred rite of baptism was administered to the 
infant Princess in the grand saloon of Kensington 
Palace on the 24th of June, 1819. The Archbishop 
of Canterbury officiated, assisted by the Bishop of 
London. The Prince Regent stood as sponsor, with 
the Duke of York, who represented the Emperor of 
Russia. The godmothers were the Duchess Dow- 
ager of Coburg, the maternal grandmother of the 
Princess, represented by the Duchess of Gloucester; 
and the Queen of Wurtemberg, Princess Royal of 
England, who was represented by her sister, the Prin- 
cess Augusta. It is said that her father had desired 
that the child was not called Georgiana, after himself, 
that his "Httle Queen" should be named Elizabeth, 
but the Prince Regent gave the infant her first name 
Alexandrina in honor of the Emperor of Russia. 
There is a story, not very well founded, running to the 
efifect that the Prince Regent was not a little annoyed 
that the child was not called Georgiana, after himself, 
Failing that he said, ''Give her her mother's name as 
well," and the royal infant lay all unconscious in the 
Archbishop's arms while he solemnly said : 

"Alexandrina Victoria, I baptize thee in the name 
of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." 

Prince Leopold was present at the ceremony, de- 
lighted at the sight of his royal niece; but sore at 

19 



20 HAPPY DAYS OF CHILDHOOD, 

heart as he thought of the Princess Charlotte, the lost 
and loved. 

For a time the royal maiden was called by the pet 
name "little Drina," but this name soon fell into 
happy disuse and she was called Victoria, the name 
her mother bore, and had filled with gracious mean- 
ings : the name by which Her Majesty will be known 
and loved and honored through all lands and climes, 
through countless generations. 

The choice of this name was eminently satisfactory 
to the gracious lady who bore it, as is seen from the 
fact that she signed her first state document simply 
"Victoria." 

When the Princess was six months old the Duke 
took his family to Sidmouth, on the Devonshire 
coast, for change of air, and here the Princess encoun- 
tered the first of those many dangers from which her 
life has been so often almost miraculously preserved. 
A boy shooting sparrows accidentally discharged 
some bird-shot in at the nursery window, and the 
shots passed close to the baby's head, but happily 
missed her. Of this first peril she was unconscious. 

In the early days of 1820, the Duke of Kent writing 
from Woolbrook Cottage, Sidmouth, says : "My little 
girl thrives under the influence of a Devonshire cli- 
mate, and is, I am delighted to say, strong and 
healthy ; too healthy, I fear, in the opinion of some 
members of my family, by whom she is regarded as an 
intruder." 

The infant Princess was beyond all question a very 
lovely child. Her large blue eyes, her complexion of 
faultless bloom, her figure, perfect though petite, com- 
bined to make a model of infantile beauty. Mrs. 



HAPPY DAYS OF CHILDHOOD. 21 

Allingham, who knew the Princess in her very early 
days during that brief residence at Sidmouth, says : 
"She was a very fair and lovely baby, and there was 
even in her infant days a charm about her which has 
never left our gracious Queen. The clear, frank glance 
of her large blue eyes, and the sweet but firm expres- 
sion of her mouth, were very remarkable, even when a 
baby of eight months old." A very natural, child-like, 
human child, was this dear Princess toward whom the 
heart of England was turning with tender interest and 
many prayers. Born in the purple, and with dignity 
enough and to spare, when the right time came, she 
was in these young days as sweet and gentle and un- 
assuming as a peasant's child. She smiled and bowed 
as she rode in her little pony-chaise, and bade the 
passers-by a cheery "Good morning," and when so 
instructed by her attendant would hold out her soft 
dimpled hand to be kissed. 

And now came the first loss and sorrow of the 
Queen's young life. Happily she was too young to 
understand the solemn importance of passing events. 
From her early infancy she was to be an orphan of 
Fatherly love and protection. The dark day came by 
the sad seashore, for it was at Woolbrook Cottage, 
Sidmouth, that she lost her royal father. He was de- 
voted to his child ; he used to tell his guests to look 
well at her, for that she was the future Queen of 
England ; and he was always ready to play with her 
and caress her. He had been out for a long walk with 
his great friend and equerry. Captain Conroy, one 
day, and had been caught by a storm. They hastened 
back to the cottage, and Captain Conroy entreated 
the Duke to change his boots at once, as they were 



22 HAPPY DAYS OF CHILDHOOD. 

wet. But on his way to his room he met the nurse 
with his little daughter in her arms, and was tempted 
by his fondness for the infant to remain playing with 
her till he had received a chill. Inflammation of the 
lungs set in and proved fatal. He died January 23, 
1820, leaving his infant child to the guardianship of 
her mother, and making General Wetherall and 
Captain (afterwards Sir John) Conroy trustees for the 
Duchess's property. 

The Duke of Kent was a great loss to the nation. 
Just when it seemed as if his path was becoming 
sunny and pleasant, and opportunities of honor and 
usefulness were presenting themselves, he was cut 
ofif in the fullness of his prime. But if he was a loss 
to the nation, what a loss he was to the Duchess and 
his child ! That there was a deep and tender attach- 
ment between the Duke and the Duchess is well 
known. Just as the sunshine came into her own sad 
life, and all looked bright and fair, the sky was sud- 
denly beclouded and all the land was dark. 

The Duke of Kent's sister, the Princess Augusta, 
writing to a friend shortly after her royal brother's 
sudden demise, pays this high tribute to the tender 
devotion of the Duchess of Kent : 

"Think, my dearest Lady Harcourt, that yesterday 
five weeks ago my brother was here on his way to 
Sidmouth ; so happy with his excellent good wife, 
and his lovely child ; and within so short a time was 
well — ill — and no more I * * * Qod knows what 
is for the best, and I hope I bow with submission to 
this very severe trial ; but when I think of his poor, 
unhappy wife, and his innocent, fatherless child, it 
really breaks my heart. She has conducted herself 



HAPPY DAYS OF CHILDHOOD. 23 

like an angel, and I am thankful dearest Leopold was 
with her. * * * She quite adored poor Edward, 
and they were truly blessed in each other; but what 
an irreparable loss he must be to her !" 

In a latter letter written from Windsor Castle the 
Princess Augusta says : 

"In all my own sorrow, I cannot yet bear to think 
of that good, excellent woman, the Duchess of Kent, 
and all her trials ; they are really most grievous. She 
is the most pious, good, resigned creature it is possible 
to describe. * * * Dearest William is so good- 
hearted that he has desired Adelaide to go to Ken- 
sington every day, as she is such a comfort to the 
poor widow, and her sweet, gentle mind is of such 
great use to the Duchess of Kent. It is a great delight 
to me to think they can read the same prayers and 
talk the same mother tongue together, it makes them 
such real friends and comfort to each other." 

The position of the widowed Duchess was most dis- 
tressing. But for that noblest of brothers. Prince 
Leopold, it is hard to tell what she would have done. 

She had resigned her German jointure and home, 
and was now alone in a strange land, the language of 
which she could not yet speak well, with limited 
means when her princely rank was taken into consid- 
eration. But her brother Leopold, who was at the 
time in Scotland, hastened at once to her side, and 
conveyed her and his infant niece back to Kensington. 

It would seem as if the Duchess had shared her 
husband's previsions as to the future of their child, 
for instead of returning to her German home, where 
she would have dwelt amidst her own people, and 
where her English jointure would have gone much 



24 HAPPY DAYS OF CHILDHOOD. 

further than at Kensington, she resolved to remain in 
the land over which her daughter might eventually 
be called to reign; being well aware that the jealous 
insular nation who might hereafter be her subjects 
had, at that time, a strong prejudice against what they 
called "foreign ways." The Duchess therefore re- 
mained at Kensington, receiving there the deputation 
of the House of Commons who brought the condol- 
ences of the Parliament to her, her infant in her arms, 
a significant token of the devotion with which she in- 
tended to give herself to the care and education of 
her daughter. 

The magazines of this period are full of the most 
delightful pen-pictures of the brilliant young Princess 
and her gracious mother. One of the most popular of 
these periodicals has this charming portraiture of the 
merry Princess in her eleventh year: 

"Her mother, whose devoted attachment to her 
daughter is of the most exemplary kind, suffers no 
opportunity to pass for inculcating on the mind of the 
Princess those amiable lessons of kindness, gentle- 
ness and forbearance which equally become the Prin- 
cess and the peasant. Though the young Princess has 
great vivacity, her manners to those about her are of 
the most engaging kind. She has very few young 
companions of her own age, but towards them she 
deports herself in a manner to ensure their regard. 
Her health is in general good; she rises early, and 
takes great pleasure in walking about the grounds of 
Kensington, her own little pony-carriage following. 
She already takes delight in personally bestowing her 
charities upon the deserving poor in her vicinity, and 
young as she is, has already made many hearts glad 



HAPPY DAYS OF CHILDHOOD. 25 

by her generous kindness. Her royal mother is par- 
ticular as to her daughter's due discharge of her reli- 
gious duties, and to her punctual attendance on divine 
worship." 

William Wilberforce, the great philanthropist of his 
time, had the privilege of a visit to Kensington. In 
a letter to his friend Hannah More he describes the 
interview : 

"She received me with her fine animated child on 
the floor by her side, with its playthings, of which I 
soon became one. She was very civil, but as she did 
not sit down I did not think it right to stop above a 
quarter of an hour, and there being but a female at- 
tendant and a footman present, I could not well get 
up any topic so as to carry on a continual discourse. 
She apologized for not speaking English well enough 
to talk it, and intimated a hope that she might talk 
it better and longer with me at some future time. She 
spoke of her situation, and her manner was quite de- 
lightful." 

Charles Knight gives a very pleasant picture of the 
royal maiden as he saw her in 1828 : 

"I dehghted to walk in Kensington gardens," he 
observes. "As I passed along the broad central walk 
I saw a group on the lawn before the palace, which 
to my mind was a vision of exquisite lovehness. The 
Duchess of Kent and her daughter, whose years then 
numbered nine, are breakfasting in the open air — a 
single page attending upon them at a respectful dis- 
tance ; the matron looking on with eyes of love, whilst 
the fair, soft English face is bright with smiles. What 
a beautiful characteristic it seemed to me of the train- 
ing of this royal girl, that she should not have been 



26 HAPPY DAYS OF CHILDHOOD. 

taught to shrink from the pubHc eye ; that she should 
not have been burdened with a premature conception 
of her probable high destiny; that she should enjoy 
the freedom and simplicity of a child's nature ; that she 
should not be restrained when she starts up from the 
breakfast-table and runs to gather a flower in the 
adjoining parterre; that her merry laugh should be 
as fearless as the notes of the thrush in the groves 
around her. I passed on, and blessed her; and I 
thank God that I have lived to see the golden fruits 
of such training." 

A brief extract from the diary of Sir Walter Scott 
of May 19th, 1828, will be of interest here: 

"Dined with the Duchess of Kent. Was very 
kindly received by Prince Leopold and presented to 
the little Princess Victoria, the heir-apparent to the 
crown, as things now stand. * * * This little 
lady is educated with much care, and watched so 
closely that no busy maid has a moment to whisper, 
'You are heir of England.' I suspect if we could 
dissect the little heart, we should find some pigeon 
or other bird of the air had carried the matter." 

The infant Princess in her early childhood won her 
way to the heart of the King, her royal uncle. Rough 
and brusque as the Georges were for the most part, 
they often revealed indications of a tender emotional 
nature. It had often been noticed that there was a 
very considerable personal resemblance between the 
King and the late Duke of Kent, and when in due 
course the King came to pay a visit of condolence to 
his bereaved sister-in-law, the Duchess of Kent, the 
widowed mother appeared, as was her custom, with 
her infant daughter in her arms. Mistaking the King 



HAPPY DAYS OF CHILDHOOD. 27 

for her father, the Princess Victoria crowed and cooed 
and stretched out her little arms to her royal uncle to 
be taken, as she had done to her father a thousand 
times. The King was greatly moved, and for the 
child's sake, and for his dead brother's sake, he took 
the infant in his arms and tenderly caressing her 
vowed that he would indeed be a father to her. 

Very often, following a pretty German fashion, the 
Duchess and her daughters would breakfast under the 
trees in the open air, surrounded by the little Prin- 
cess's pets ; for she was fond of dogs, and the noble 
animals returned her affection. In short, the lives of 
mother and daughter appeared inseparable. 

The Princess was carefully trained in good habits, 
even in those early years. She was apt, like most 
little ones, to be fickle in her amusements ; but she 
was taught to finish whatever she had begun. Her 
governess was Baroness Lehzen, the daughter of a 
Hanoveria«l clergyman, who had been brought over 
to educate the Princess Feodora, and remained as 
instructress to the heiress of the throne. This wise 
and excellent woman was much loved by her royal 
pupil, who has told us, "I adored though I was greatly 
in awe of her." 

Little girls of America will be interested to know 
that the little Princess had a hundred and thirty-two 
dolls, and that most of these she dressed in artistic 
costumes. She kept a list of them — for every doll had 
its name — in a copy book. 

The young girl's life in her palace home was sim- 
plicity itself. Breakfast was served in summer at 
eight o'clock, often in the open air. The Princess had 
bread and milk and fruit on a little table by her 



28 HAPPY DAYS OF CHILDHOOD. 

mother's side. After breakfast, the Princess Feodora 
studied for a Httle while with her governess, Miss 
Lehzen, then the two Princesses went out for a walk 
or a drive in company with the governess and some 
other attendant. At two o'clock there was a plain 
dinner, when the Duchess of Kent had her 
luncheon. In the afternoon there was another walk 
or drive. At the time of her mother's dinner, the 
Princess had her supper by her mother's side, and at 
nine o'clock the little lady retired for the night. 

Lord Albemarle in his Autobiography gives us 
another glimpse at the small heiress of England. 
"One of my occupations of a morning," he says, 
"while waiting for the Duke (of Sussex), was to watch 
from the windows the movements of a bright, pretty 
little girl seven years of age. She was in the habit 
of watering the plants immediately under the window. 
It was amusing to see how impartially . she divided 
the contents of the watering pot between the flowers 
and her own little feet. She was dressed in a large 
straw hat and a suit of white cotton ; a colored fichu 
round the neck was the only ornament she wore." 

Thoughtful, sympathetic kindness was taught as one 
of the proper elements of a young lady's life. As, for 
example, she found in the last illness of her royal 
uncle the Duke of York an opportunity for the exer- 
cise of tender sympathy, and every day the little Prin- 
cess bore to the bedside of her dying uncle a bouquet 
of flowers to cheer the gloom of the chamber of death. 

Strict economy was inculcated in the Princess. 
There is a story told of her having, when at Tunbridge 
Wells, visited the bazaar to buy presents for her rela- 
tions, and of her having expended all her money be- 



HAPPY DAYS OF CHILDHOOD. 29 

fore a gift she desired for another cousin had been 
purchased. She saw a box which would exactly do 
for this last present, and the bazaar people wished to 
send it to her with the other purchases, to be paid for 
hereafter, but Baroness Lehzen said, "No! you see 
the Princess has not the money, and so she cannot 
buy the box." The shopkeeper offered to lay the box 
by for the Princess, and the offer was gladly accepted, 
the royal child returning to pay for it, and take it, 
when her next allowance of pocket-money was paid. 

"We remember well," says Leigh Hunt, "the pe- 
culiar pleasure which it gave us to see the future 
Queen, the first time we ever did see her, coming up 
, a cross path from the Bay's water gate, with a girl of 
her own age by her side, whose hand she was holding 
as if she loved her. A magnificent in scarlet came 
behind her, with the splendidest pair of calves in white 
stockings, which we ever beheld. He looked some- 
how like a gigantic fairy, personating for his little 
lady's sake the grandest kind of footman he could 
think of ; and his <:alves he seemed to have made out 
of a couple of the biggest chain lamps in the posses- 
sion of the godmother of Cinderella." 

A writer in Fraser's Magazine, who, in somewhat 
florid style, thus relates his observations : "When first I 
saw the pale and pretty daughter of the Duke of Kent, 
she was fatherless. Her fair, light form was sporting 
in all the redolence of youth and health on the noble 
sands of old Ramsgate. She wore a plain straw bon- 
net with a white ribbon round it, and as pretty a pair 
of shoes on as pretty a pair of feet as I ever remember 
to have seen from China to Kamschatka. I defy you 
all to find me a prettier pair of feet than those of the 



30 HAPPY DAYS OF CHILDHOOD. 

belle Victoria, when she played with the pebbles and 
the tides on Ramsgate sands." 

Miss Porter describes her as "a beautiful child, with 
a cherubic form of features, clustered round by glossy 
fair ringlets. Her complexion was remarkably trans- 
parent, with a soft and often heightening tinge of the 
sweet blush-rose upon her cheeks, that imparted a 
peculiar brilliancy to her clear blue eyes. Whenever 
she met any strangers in her usual paths, she always 
seemed, by the quickness of her glance, to inquire who 
and what they were." 

In the year 1826 plans were made for the beginning 
of the Queen's education. The following is a brief 
list of her tutors and her lines of study : * 

Governess : Miss (afterwards Baroness) Lehzen. 

Tutor: Rev. George Davys. 

Writing and Arithmetic : Mr. Steward. 

Singing: J. B. Sale, Chapel Royal. 

Singing: Lablache. 

Dancing : Mr. Bourdin. 

Drawing: Mr. Westall. 

French : M. Grandineau. 

Sketching was a favorite occupation with the young 
Princess. She was born with the artist's eye, and with 
his love of form and beauty. It was under the inspir- 
ation of her Uncle Leopold and when she visited him 
at Claremont that she first began sketching from na- 
ture. 

She was reared to speak in French and German a.i 
well as in her native tongue. German she found most 
efficacious when she wanted a favor from her mother. 
By the time she reached her eleventh year Italian, 
Latin, Greek and mathematics had been added to her 



HAPPY DAYS OF CHILDHOOD. 31 

studies. Her first visit to the Britsh Museum was an 
unbounded joy, and she begged to be taken there 
often. Botany, too, dehghted her, and she began the 
study, under the tuition of her Uncle Leopold, among 
the bowery groves of Claremont. 

The Rev. George Davys, her tutor, speaks often of 
the Queen's strict regard for truth in these years of 
early girlhood. "The Queen," said Dr. Davys, "al- 
ways had, from my first knowing her, a most striking 
regard to truth. I remember when I had been teach- 
ing her one day she was very impatient for the lesson 
to be over — once or twice rather refractory. The 
Duchess of Kent came in and asked how she had be- 
haved. Lehzen said^ 'Oh, once she was rather trou- 
blesome.' The Princess touched her and said, 'No, 
Lehzen, twice, don't you remember?' The Duchess 
of Kent, too, was a woman of great truth." 

The Princess was a great favorite with her royal 
grandmamma, the Dowager Duchess of Coburg, who, 
writing to the Duchess of Kent upon the Princess's 
eleventh birthday, says : "My blessings and good 
wishes for the day which gave you the sweet blossom 
of May I May God preserve and protect the valuable 
life of that lovely flower from all the dangers that will 
beset her m.ind and heart! The rays of the sun are 
scorching at the height to which she may one day at- 
tain. It is only by the blessing of God that all the 
fine qualities He has put into that young soul can be 
kept pure and untarnished." 

It was in the merry month of May in the year 1829, 
and in the eleventh year of her age, that the Princess 
Victoria attended her first public ball. The gaieties 
of Court life were almost entirely a sealed book to her. 



32 HAPPY DAYS OF CHILDHOOD. 

So thoroughly and happily was she occupied from day 
to day that she had no time, and very little inclination, 
to take part in Courtly functions and festivities. On 
this occasion the Princess had the opportunity of see- 
ing how a Queen who was but a month older than 
herself was received with royal honors at the Court of 
George IV. This young sovereign was Donna Maria 
da Gloria, Queen of Portugal. The two young ladies 
had previously exchanged some formal State visits, 
but official etiquette did not admit of a close inti- 
macy. The young Queen was all ablaze with the 
splendor of the jewels of the Crown of Portugal; she 
was surrounded by her Court and was led to the ball- 
room by the hand of the King himself. A spectator 
of this splendid Court function contrasts the charm- 
ing simplicity of the Princess in dress and manners, 
with the dazzle and glitter of the precocious Queen. 
These royal young ladies danced in the same quad- 
rille, but the refined taste of the EngHsh-bred Princess 
won universal admiration. It will be interesting to 
note that the Princess Victoria's partners at her first 
ball were Lord Fitzdam, heir to the Dukedom of 
Norfolk, Prince William of Saxe-Weimar, the young 
Prince Esterhazy, and the sons of Lords De-la- Warr 
and Jersey. 

In the year 1828 the Princess Feodora, half-sister 
to the Queen, was married to the Prince Hohenlohe- 
Langenburg. This was one of the first real heart 
sorrows of Her Majesty, for while she rejoiced in 
Feodora's happiness, she felt she had lost the dearest 
friend and companion of her early years. 



CHAPTER III. 



THE ROMANCE OF MAIDENHOOD. 

On the 15th of November, 1830, Lord Lyndhurst 
brought forward in the House of Lords a Regency 
Bill. In moving that the Duchess of Kent be ap- 
pointed Regent and Guardian of the Princess Victoria 
during her minority, the noble and venerable Lord 
paid this tribute to the character of the Queen's 
mother : 

"The first question," said the Lord Chancellor, 
"which your Lordships will naturally ask is. Whom 
do we propose as the guardian of her Royal Highness 
under the circumstances inferred? I am sure, how- 
ever, that the answer will at once suggest itself to 
every mind. It would be quite impossible that we 
should recommend any other individual for that high 
office than the illustrious Princess, the mother of Her 
Royal Highness the Princess Victoria. The manner 
in which Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent 
has hitherto discharged her duty in the education of 
her illustrious offspring — and I speak upon the sub- 
ject not from vague report, but from accurate infor- 
mation — gives us the best ground to hope most favor- 
ably of Her Royal Highness's future conduct. Look- 
ing at the past, it is evident we cannot find a better 
guardian for the time to come." The bill was passed 
with the hearty and enthusiastic endorsement of both 
Houses of Parliament, and of the country at large. 
3 33 



34 THE ROMANCE OF MAIDENHOOD. 

The Baroness Lehgen, a good many years after the 
event just referred to, sent the Queen an important 
letter touching this period of the Hfe of the Princess. 

"I ask your Majesty's leave," says the Baroness, 
"to cite some remarkable words of your Majesty's 
when only twelve years old, while the Regency Bill 
was in progress. I then said to the Duchess of Kent 
that now, for the first time, your Majesty ought to 
know your place in the succession. Her Royal High- 
ness agreed with me, and I put the genealogical table 
into the historical book. When Mr. Davys was gone 
the Princess Victoria opened, as usual, the book again, 
and seeing the additional paper, said, 'I never saw 
that before.' 

" 'It was not thought necessary you should, Prin- 
cess,' I answered. 

" 1 see I am nearer the throne than I thought.' 

" 'So it is, madam,' I said. 

"After some moments the Princess resumed, 'Now, 
many a child would boast, but they don't know the 
difficulty. There is much splendor, but there is more 
responsibility.' 

"The Princess having lifted up the forefinger of her 
right hand while she spoke, gave me that little hand, 
saying, 

" 'I will be good. I understand now why you urged 
me so much to learn, even Latin. My aunts Augusta 
and Mary never did; but you told me Latin is the 
foundation of English grammar, and of all the elegant 
expressions, and I learned it, as you wished it, but I 
understand all better now,' and the Princess gave me 
her hand, repeating: 

" 'I will be good.' 



THE ROMANCE OF MAIDENHOOD. 35 

"I then said, 'But your Aunt Adelaide is still young, 
and may have children, and, of course, they would 
ascend the throne after their father, William IV., and 
not you. Princess.' 

"The Princess answered : 

" 'And if it was so I would never be disappointed, 
for I know by the love Aunt Adelaide bears me how 
fond she is of children.' " 

In the year 1831, Florentia, daughter of the Earl of 
Paris, and wife of Hugh, third Duke of Northumber- 
land, was appointed State Governess to the Princess. 
Her chief duty was to be present when the heiress- 
presumptive appeared in public or at Court. 

On the 24th of February, 1831, the Princess Vic- 
toria made her first formal appearance at Court, the 
occasion being the celebration of the birthday of her 
royal aunt^ Queen Adelaide. The drawing-room held 
by Her Majesty was said to have been the most mag- 
nificent witnessed since that which signalized the 
presentation of the Princess Charlotte of Wales on 
the occasion of her marriage. The Princess Victoria 
stood on Queen Adelaide's left hand. Her dress was 
made entirely of articles manufactured in the United 
Kingdom. She wore a dress of English blonde over 
white satin, a pearl necklace, and a rich diamond 
agraffe fastened the Madonna threads of her fair 
hair at the back of the head. She was the object of 
interest and admiration on the part of all assembled. 
The scene was one of the most splendid ever remem- 
bered and the future Queen of England contemplated 
all that passed with much dignity and with evident 
enjoyment. 

The Duchess of Kent was quite anxious that her 



36 THE ROMANCE OF MAIDENHOOD. 

royal daughter should become acquainted with the 
country she might one day govern, and with the char- 
acter, habits and industries of the people who might 
become all in good time her loving subjects. And so 
it came to pass that with her mother for her compan- 
ion and guide, the Princess Victoria in the summer 
and autumn of 1832 became quite a provincial trav- 
eler. She visited Warwick and Coventry and the 
classic regions made immortal by their association 
with Shakespeare, Shrewsbury, Powis Castle, 
Wynnstey and Beaumaris were all visited in turn. At 
Beaumaris the Princess visited the Welsh Eisteddfod, 
and distributed the prizes awarded to the successful 
singers and performers. On the 13th of October the 
royal party visited Plas Newydd, and there the Prin- 
cess performed her first public task of honor by laying 
the first stone of a School for Boys. Four days after- 
wards she opened the new Victoria Bridge over the 
river Dee near the quaint old town of Chester. Here, 
too, she planted an oak, and became, young as she 
was, godmother to the infant daughter of Lord and 
Lady Robert Grosvenor. The youthful traveler was 
not only delighted with the beauty of England ; to be 
among the people, to see them at their tasks, to be- 
come more or less acquainted with their manner of 
life, had an unspeakable charm for her inquiring mind. 
And all this interest the people fully appreciated and 
reciprocated. Her unassuming, simple girlhood ; the 
filial tenderness she manifested towards her distin- 
guished and beloved mother, won all hearts to her and 
laid the basis of a deep enduring loyalty. 

At Broomsgrove the Princess was greatly inter- 
ested in the work of the nailers, and in response they 



THE ROMANCE OF MAIDENHOOD., 37 

gave her a most unique token of their regard. They 
presented her with a thousand nails of all sizes and 
patterns enclosed in a quill, and enshrined in a golden 
box. 

The Cathedrals and stately Universities awoke her 
reverence and awe. Chantrey's marble group of 
"Sleeping Children" in Litchfield Cathedral enchanted 
her. At Oxford, the royal visitors were received with 
t^ie most dignified welcome. The Vice-Chancellor de- 
livered a most learned and solemn address of wel- 
come, and the famous University Press presented the 
Princess with a magnificent Bible, and a history of 
her gracious visit printed in satin. 

So ended the royal travels of 1832. We are quite 
sure the Princess would very highly prize the big, 
elaborate Bible presented by the solemn Dons of Ox- 
ford ; but the Princess was only a girl, not yet fifteen 
years of age, and we shall not blame her if she prized 
quite as highly that lovely golden box, with a thou- 
sand nails, presented by the hardy toilers of Brooms- 
grove. 

In 1833 the Duchess and her daughter resided for 
some months at Norris Castle in the Isle of Wight, 
where the Princess was frequently seen enjoying coun- 
try rambles, or listening to the stories of the sailors and 
the coastguardsmen as she Hngered about the shore. 
A pretty incident is told by an American writer who 
was visiting the island. While in Arreton churchyard, 
near Brading, he noticed a lady and a little girl seated 
near the grave of the "Dairyman's Daughter." The 
lady was reading aloud the story of the humble hero- 
ine, and as the visitor regarded the pair he could see 
that the large blue eyes of the young girl were 



38 THE ROMANCE OF MAIDENHOOD. 

suffused with tears. He subsequently learned that the 
ladies were the Duchess of Kent and the Princess 
Victoria. It was doubtless during this visit of her 
girlhood that the Queen formed an affection for the 
Isle of Wight, which induced her in later years to 
select Osborne as a marine residence. 

The Coronation of King William IV. took place 
on the 8th of September, 185 1. The Duchess of Kent 
absented herself from this royal function, and kept the 
Princess at home. The reason for this course of 
action has never been told, but we may be sure it gave 
great umbrage to the King. 

About this time the Duchess of Kent and the Prin- 
cess visited Plymouth, where, on the Hoe where 
Francis Drake received news of the approach of the 
Spanish Armada, her little hands presented their col- 
ors to the 89th Regiment. The Duchess and Princess 
visited the famous dockyard. 

Old Admiral Ross gave his loyal heart wholly to 
the young Princess, and spoke often of her charming 
manner and of the kindness of the Duchess of Kent. 
He said the young Princess had something especially 
and remarkably "royal" in her bearing without a 
spark of affectation. 

One instance of the kindness and condescension of 
the Duchess, and of how she brought up the Princess, 
has been often related in the family. The admiral's 
eldest daughter was ill and unable to go downstairs to 
luncheon. After the meal the Duchess and her royal 
daughter went up to the invalid's dressing-room to 
see her. Miss Ross rose from the sofa to get a chair 
for the Princess, but the Duchess said at once, "Pray 
do not rise. Miss Ross ; you are ill ; Victoria will get a 



THE ROMANCE OF MAIDENHOOD. 39 

chair for herself ;" and sitting down, the royal ladies 
chatted with her very graciously. 

In the early summer of 1835 the young Princess 
accompanied Queen Adelaide to the Ascot races, and 
as she drove along in the gay procession her sweet 
girlish appearance attracted great attention, and not 
infrequently she was greeted with most hearty cheers. 
She wore a large pink bonnet and a rose-colored satin 
frock which matched the roses on her cheeks, and 
formed an impressive contrast to her fair hair and her 
rare blue eyes. Among other strangers present at this 
gay scene was Mr. N. P. Willis, who was on a visit to 
England. He was certainly not the greatest, but he 
was one of the most charming of our American poets. 
The English people took kindly to him, and he won 
the name of "the James Montgomery of America," 
which was indeed honor enough. 

The American poet, though little given to the wor- 
ship of Royalty^ was still curious to see the King and 
Queen of England, and the heiress-presumptive to the 
throne. In describing the scene he says : 

'Tn one of the intervals I walked under the King's 
stand, and I saw Her Majesty the Queen and the 
young Princess Victoria very distinctly. They were 
leaning over a railing listening to a ballad singer, and 
seemed as much interested and amused as any simple 
country folk could be. * * * The Princess is 
much better looking than any picture of her in the 
shops, and for the heir to such a crown as that of 
England, necessarily pretty and interesting. She will 
be sold, poor thing ! bartered away by those dealers 
in Royal hearts, whose grand calculations will not be 
much consolation to her if she happens to have a 



40 THE ROMANCE OF MAIDENHOOD. 

taste of her own." Mr. Holmes in the briefest of 
comments says : "The American did not turn out a 
true prophet." No, Mr. WilUs was a rather poor 
poet, and a worse prophet. Indeed prophesying is a 
very trying business, however careful you are; your 
prophecy is so apt to go all the other way. A saga- 
cious pohtician once gave a friend of his — who was 
much given to predicting the result of elections — this 
piece of sage advice : "Be wise, my friend ; never 
prophesy unless you know!" 

The Confirmation of Her Majesty took place in the 
Chapel Royal, St. James's, on the 30th of August, 
1835. The solemn ceremony was conducted by the 
Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by the Bishop of 
London. In addition to the Princess Victoria and her 
mother the Duchess of Kent, the King, Queen Ade- 
laide, and the Duchess of Saxe-Weimar were present. 
With a lowly and reverential spirit the Princess 
bowed before the altar of dedication, and when the 
venerable prelate exhorted her with great tenderness 
to look to the King of Kings for counsel and support, 
in all the solemn obligations and duties to which she 
had been called, the gentle Princess was so moved 
that she laid her head upon her mother's shoulder, 
and broke forth into most gracious tears. The 
Duchess of Kent was very deeply affected, and even 
the King could not wholly restrain his emotion. 

Later in the year the Princess and the Duchess of 
Kent paid a visit to Burghley House, the seat of the 
Marquis of Exeter. A ball was given in honor of the 
Princess, at which three hundred favored guests had 
the happiness of looking on the fair young face of 
their future Queen. The ball was opened by the Prin- 



THE ROMANCE OF MAIDENHOOD. 41 

cess, who danced with Lord Exeter, and then retired 
for the night. She was still the Duchess's "dear little 
girl." 

It is evident there was no love lost between King 
William IV, and the Duchess of Kent. That Her 
Royal Highness had persistently kept the Princess 
Victoria as far as possible from all the influences of 
the Court, was to His Majesty subject of great an- 
noyance. He regarded this course of action as a di- 
rect insult to himself, and lost no opportunity of giv- 
ing the most outspoken expressions of his dissatis- 
faction, not to say disgust, at the course of action 
pursued by the Duchess. A notable example of the 
manifestation of this royal anger occurred on Sunday, 
August 2 1 St, 1836. It was the King's birthday, and 
being Sunday the celebration was somewhat private. 
There were not more than a hundred guests all told. 
The Duchess of Kent sat on one side of the King, and 
one of his sisters on the other, and the Princess Vic- 
toria opposite. In the course of the celebration, the 
King's health was drunk as a matter of course, and 
the King in response, so far forgot the dignity due to 
a King and a gentleman as to grossly insult the 
Duchess of Kent. Among other things he said that 
"that young lady (pointing to the Princess Victoria) 
the heir-presumptive of the Crown, is in the hands of 
a person now near me, who is surrounded by evil ad- 
visers, and who is herself incompetent to act with 
propriety in the station in which she has been placed. 
I have no hesitation in saying that I have been in- 
sulted — grossly and continually insjulted — by that per- 
son ; but I am determined to endyre no longer a 
course of behavior so disrespectful to me. Amongst 



42 THE ROMANCE OF MAIDENHOOD. 

many other things, I have particularly to complain 
of the manner in which that young lady has been kept 
away from my Court ; she has been repeatedly kept 
away from my drawing-rooms, at which she ought 
always to have been present ; but I am fully resolved 
that this shall not happen again. I would have her 
know that I am King, and I am determined to have 
my authority respected ; and for the future I shall in- 
sist and command that the Princess do upon all occa- 
sions appear at my Court, as it is her duty to do." 
Greville says that this awful philippic was delivered 
with a loud voice, and in an excited manner ; that the 
Queen was in deep distress, while the tender-hearted 
Princess burst into tears. The whole company were 
aghast and ashamed ! But the Duchess spoke never a 
word ! 

This was only one of many occasions on which the 
King manifested his strong personal antipathy to the 
Duchess of Kent. She had wounded his royal vanity. 
She had made it quite apparent that she did not re- 
gard the influences of his Court as the most desirable 
and healthful for her daughter; and in these deep 
convictions, there were united the anxieties of a 
mother with the pride of a Queen ! 

King Leopold, not less than the Dowager-Duchess 
of Coburg, was intensely anxious to arrange a meet- 
ing between Prince Albert and Princess Victoria. In 
June of 1836 this meeting took place. The Duke of 
Coburg and his two sons, Ernest and Albert, paid a 
visit of some weeks at Kensington Palace. This was 
the first coming of Print:e Albert to the land wherein 
he was to find a vifife^nd a home, and, after more than 
twenty years of he^norable and faithful service, he was 



THE ROMANCE OF MAIDENHOOD. 43 

also to find a grave. He was cordially welcomed by 
the King- and Queen, and was not a little moved by 
the splendid functions of the English Court. He was 
present at a drawing-room, where his fair cousin stood 
on the left hand of the Queen, and he there saw one 
thousand eight hundred persons pass before Queen 
Adelaide. This drawing-room was also followed by a 
dinner, very long and very late for the young German 
Prince, accustomed to the reasonable hours and sim- 
pler ways of his wise Fatherland. Then the Aunt- 
Duchess gave a splendid fancy ball at Kensington, at 
which William Duke of Brunswick, the Prince of 
Orange and his sons and the Duke of Welhngton 
were present. The princes assisted in keeping up the 
revelry till four in the morning. They visited the 
Duke of Northumberland and Claremont, and then 
strove to see as many of the sights of London as time 
permitted. 

Of all these Prince Albert was most impressed by 
the gathering of the charity children, in St. Paul's, 
and the wonderful effect of those young voices sing- 
ing. The visit lasted a month ; then (we must believe 
reluctantly) the cousins parted. 

King Leopold had taken more than one occasion 
to speak with great delicacy and tenderness to the 
Princess Victoria on the question that was as dear to 
him as it was to the Dowager-Duchess of Coburg and 
to the Duchess of Kent, that of a union between her- 
self and her cousin Prince Albert. The first words 
that are on record indicating the sentiments of the 
Princess Victoria on the matter are found in a letter 
written by the Princess to her uncle on the 7th of 



44 THE ROMANCE OF MAIDENHOOD. 

June, 1836, just after the departure of the Coburg 
guests from Kensington. The brief letter says : 

"I have now only to beg you, my dearest uncle, to 
take care of the health of one now so dear to me, and 
to take him under your special protection. I hope 
and trust that all will go on prosperously and well on 
this subject now of so much importance to me." 
, On the 24th of May, 1837, the Princess Victoria 
attained her legal majority, being then eighteen years 
of age. She was awakened by a most delightful sere- 
nade at seven o'clock on that bright May morning. 
A band of vocal and instrumental performers in full 
dress rendered several suitable numbers most effect- 
ively. The Princess sat at one of the palace windows 
greatly enjoying the music. The serenade closed with 
"God Save the King," in which the crowds who had 
gathered heartily joined. 

During the day the Princess was made the recipient 
of many costly presents ; among the rest came a mag- 
nificent grand piano from her uncle the King valued 
at over $1,000. The King further stated that he would 
give the Princess $50,000 a year from his own income, 
provided she would allow him to name the ofBcers of 
her household. This generous but suspicious offer 
was gracefully declined. Even Kings have to learn 
sometimes that there are some things that cannot be 
bought with gold. As the day wore on congratula- 
tory addresses arrived. Among other expressions of 
good will, a deputation from the City of London 
waited on the Duchess of Kent to congratulate her on 
the judicious and effectual manner in which she had 
trained her daughter for the duties and responsibilities 
of the coming years. 



THE ROMANCE OF MAIDENHOOD. 45 

The response of the Duchess on this occasion re- 
veals how grandly she had sought to serve the nation 
and the age in her deep and constant care for the 
culture of her chilH. She seemed to realize that Alex- 
andrina Victoria was God's child, and the child of the 
nation as well as hers, and she trained her daughter 
for God and for her country. 

Long ages before, the daughter of Pharaoh com- 
mitted to care of his Hebrew mother, the little boy 
she found tossing in his bulrush cradle on the Nile, 
with this memorable charge : "Take this child and 
nurse it for me, and I will pay thee thy wages." So 
it seemed to the Duchess of Kent, as if God, in that 
legacy of love He gave her, on that bright May morn- 
ing in 1819, gave her a child to nurse for Him, and 
for the land of which she might one day be Queen. 
Faithful had been the nursing, and the wages that 
followed were to be great beyond compare. But 
here are the words spoken by the Duchess of Kent to 
the Civic Deputation : 

"I pass over the earlier part of my connection with 
this country. I will merely briefly observe that my 
late regretted Consort's circumstances, and my duties, 
obliged us to reside in Germany; but the Duke of 
Kent, at much inconvenience, and I, at great personal 
risk, returned to England, that our child might be 
born and bred a Briton. 

"In a few months afterwards, my infant and myself 
were awfully deprived of father and husband. We 
stood alone almost friendless and unknown in this 
country; I could not even speak its language. 

'T did not hesitate in deciding how to act. I gave 
up home, kindred and duties to devote myself to that 



46 THE ROMANCE OF MAIDENHOOD. 

one duty to which my future Hfe was to be entirely 
devoted. I was supported in the execution of that 
duty by the country ; it placed its trust on me, and 
the Regency Bill gave me its crowning act of con- 
fidence. 

"I have, in times of great difficulty, avoided all 
connection with any party in the State; but while 
I did so, I never ceased to impress her duties upon 
my daughter, that by their observation and fulfilment 
she might gain the esteem and affection of the people. 
To do this, I have taught her should be the first 
earthly duty of a constitutional sovereign. 

"The Princess has now arrived at that age, which 
justifies me in expressing my confident expectation 
that she will be found strengthened to execute the 
sacred trust which may be reposed in her, for, com- 
municating as she has, and does, with all classes of 
society, she must perceive that the more widely re- 
ligious knowledge and a love of freedom are diffused 
the more orderly, prosperous and industrious is the 
population; and, that the preservation of the con- 
stitutional prerogative of the Crown must be co- 
ordinate with the protection of the liberties of the 
people." 

It is said that, on this occasion, the timid reticent 
Princess, who was so soon to be Queen of Great 
Britain, made her first brief speech in public. She 
said, with a deep blush and a most natural expression 
of timidity on her maiden cheeks : 'T am very thank- 
ful for your kindness, and my mother has expressed 
all my feelings." 

This royal birthday that began with music was 
filled with melody through all its hours. London was 



THE ROMANCE OF MAIDENHOOD. 47 

en fete gay in holiday attire. Neither House of Par- 
liament sat. There was a Grand State Ball at St. 
James's Palace. The MetropoHs was brilliantly illu- 
minated in the evening, and all through the country 
there were demonstrations of loyalty and gladness. 



CHAPTER IV. 



EXIT KING WILLIAM IV. 

The last session of the last Parliament of William 
IV. was opened by Commission on the 31st of Janu- 
ary, 1837. This year was destined to be a memorable 
one in the history of England. In its earliest days 
shadows were gathering about the throne. The 
serious condition of the King's health prevented him 
from opening Parliament in person. It was generally 
believed that the King was fast nearing his end. For 
some reason, the true state of the King's health was 
studiously kept from the public. The bulletins of the 
royal physicians were most misleading. The nature 
of the King's disease was widely known, and the 
intensity of his sufferings awoke the profound pity of 
his people. A month before his death, his case was 
pronounced hopeless by the Court physicians. 

In these days of darkness and sorrow, the name of 
Queen Adelaide shines like a star in the gathering 
gloom. Beneath the royal purple of the Queen, there 
beat a woman's heart of boundless tenderness. The 
eyes of Queen Adelaide were still wet with tears for 
the gracious mother, the Duchess Dowager of Saxe- 
Coburg Meiningen, who had but recently passed from 
the vanities of earth for the solemnities of the silent 
land. The loss of a mother at any period of Hfe is an 
irreparable loss, whether it befall us in childhood or 
youth or growing years. We may lose many friends 
and relations, but there is only one mother to lose. 

48 




QUEEN VICTORIA IN 1887. 




QUEEN VICTORIA IN 1897 



EXIT KING WILLIAM IV. 49 

The heart of Queen Adelaide was beating quick and 
sore with a conscious "mother-want" ; and now she 
was called to drink another cup of bitterness, to bend 
with breaking-heart at the bedside of her dying hus- 
band. Never was so sacred a vigil more tenderly- 
kept. As the end drew nigh, the Queen's devotion 
became more pathetic and intense. There is a love 
that watching cannot weary. There is a patience of 
service that never dies. For twelve successive days 
and nights she never removed her clothes. 

"For three weeks," said His Grace the Archbishop 
of Canterbury, in addressing a large audience, "the 
Queen sat by the King's bedside performing for him 
every office which a sick man could require, depriving 
herself of all manner of rest and refection. She 
underwent labors which I thought no ordinary 
woman could endure. No language can do justice to 
her meekness and the calmness of mind she sought to 
preserve before the King, while sorrow was preying 
on her heart. Such constancy of affection, I think, 
was one of the most interesting spectacles that could 
be presented to a mind desiring to be gratified with 
the sight of human excellence." 

Sir Walter Scott has written nothing worthier of his 
name and fame than that grand stanza : 
"O, woman, in our hours of ease, 
Uncertain, coy, and hard to please, 
And variable, as the shade 
By the light, quivering aspen made. 
When pain and anguish wring the brow 
A ministering angel, thou!" 

The illness that had prevented the King opening 
Parliament to the end of January grew more and 
more serious. Then there came indications of some 



50 EXIT KING WILLIAM IV. 

radical improvement ; then a relapse. The King was 
an old man when he came to the throne. The vitality 
of youth was gone. Recuperating forces worked 
feebly and slowly, and then they ceased to work at 
all. There was grave anxiety throughout the land. 
At last the muffled peals from a thousand "passing 
bells" told all England that the King was dead. 

No worthier or more judicious estimate of the last 
of the Georges can be found than that of Mr. Justin 
McCarthy, who says : 'The death of King William 
may fairly be regarded as having closed an era of our 
history. With him we may believe ended the reign 
of personal government in England. William was 
indeed a constitutional King in more than mere name. 
He was to the best of his lights a faithful representa- 
tive of the constitutional principle. He was as far in 
advance of his two predecessors in understanding and 
acceptance of the principle as his successor has proved 
herself beyond him. Constitutional government has 
developed itself gradually, as everything else has done 
in English politics. The written principle and code of 
its system it would be as vain to look for as for the 
British Constitution itself. King William still held 
to and exercised the right to dismiss his ministers 
when he pleased, and because he pleased. His father 
had held to the right of maintaining favorite ministers 
in defiance of repeated votes of the House of Com- 
mons. It would not be easy to find any written rule 
or declaration of constitutional law pronouncing de- 
cisively that either was in the wrong. But in our day 
we should believe that the constitutional freedom of 
England was outraged, or at least put in the extremest 
danger, if a sovereign were to dismiss a ministry at 



EXIT KING WILLIAM IV. 51 

mere pleasure, or retain it despite the expressed wish 
of the House of Commons. Virtually, therefore, 
there was still personal government in the reign of 
William IV. With his death the long chapter of its 
history came to an end. We find it difficult now to 
believe that it was a living principle, openly at work 
among us, if not openly acknowledged, so lately as 
in the reign of King William." 

The closing scenes of King William's Hfe were 
undoubtedly characterized by some personal dignity. 
As a rule, sovereigns show that they know how to 
die. Perhaps the necessary consequence of their 
training, by virtue of which they come to regard them- 
selves always as the central figures in great state 
pageantry, is to make them assume a manner of 
dignity on all occasions when the eyes of their sub- 
jects may be supposed to be on them, even if the 
dignity of bearing is not the free gift of nature. The 
manners of William IV. had been, like those of most 
of his brothers, somewhat rough and overbearing. 
He had been an unmanageable naval officer. He had 
again and again disregarded or disobeyed orders, and 
at last it had been found convenient to withdraw him 
from active service altogether, and allow him to rise 
through the successive ranks of his profession by a 
merely formal and technical process of ascent. In 
his more private capacity he had, when younger, in- 
dulged more than once in unseemly and insufferable 
freaks of temper. He had made himself un- 
popular while Duke of Clarence by his strenuous 
opposition to some of the measures which were 
especially desired by all the enlightenment of the 
country. He was, for example, a determined oppo- 



52 EXIT KING WILLIAM IV. 

nent of the measures for the abohtion of the slave 
trade. He had wrangled publicly, in open debate, 
with some of his brothers in the House of Lords ; and 
words had been interchanged among the royal princes 
which could not be heard in our day even in the hot- 
test debates of the more turbulent House of Com- 
mons, But William seems to have been one of the 
men whom increased responsibility improves. He 
was far better as a king than as a prince. He proved 
that he was able at least to understand that first duty 
of a constitutional sovereign which, to the last day 
of his active life, his father, George HI., never could 
be brought to comprehend — that the personal predi- 
lections and prejudices of the King m.ust sometimes 
give way to the public interest. 

It may be said of King William, in the words of 
Shakespeare, "He certainly made a good end," hear- 
ing many prayers and joining in them with great 
fervor. There were many tender passages between 
the King and his sorrowing, heart-broken Queefi. 
When he saw her on the point of breaking down, he 
said : "Bear up, Adelaide ; bear up, my dear." 

When he awoke on June i8th he remembered that 
it was the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo. He 
expressed a strong pathetic wish to live over that day, 
even if he were never to see another sunset. He called 
for the flag which the Duke of Wellington always 
sent him on that anniversary, and he laid his hand 
upon the eagle which adorned it, and said he felt 
revived by the touch. The King died at 4 o'clock on 
the morning of June 20th, 1837. 



CHAPTER V. 



SUMMONED TO THE THRONE. 

We have spoken of Queen Victoria as a "daughter 
of the morning." The clock struck four at Kensington 
when her eyes first opened to the Hght. Eighteen 
years have passed, and as the clock strikes four at 
Windsor Castle, the King is dead. The messenger of 
death has set his seal on the royal lips, — but the same 
messenger has a new message of life and duty for 
the maiden Princess who lies sleeping sweetly in the 
palace of Kensington. 

The story of the taking of that all-important mes- 
sage to the Princess Victoria, who is proclaimed by 
the early light of this summer morning "Queen of 
England," is quite romantic. It has been told so 
sweetly and graphically by Miss Wynn in the "Diary 
of a Lady of Quality" that we will listen while she 
tells it once again. 

"The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Howley, and 
the Lord Chamberlain, the Marquis of Conyngham, 
left Windsor for Kensington Palace, where the 
Princess Victoria had been residing, to inform her of 
the King's death. It was two hours after midnight 
when they started, and they did not reach Kensing- 
ton till five o'clock in the morning. 

"They knocked, they rang, they thumped for a con- 
siderable time before they could rouse the porter at 
the gate ; they were again kept waiting in the court- 
yard ; then turned into one of the lower rooms, where 

53 



54 SUMMONED TO THE THRONE. 

they seemed to be forgotten by everybody. They 
rang the bell and desired that the attendant of the 
Princess Victoria might be sent to inform her Royal 
Highness that they requested an audience on busi- 
ness of importance. 

"After another delay and another ringing to inquire 
the cause, the attendant was summoned, who stated 
that the Princess was in such a sweet sleep that she 
could not venture to disturb her. 

"Then they said, 'We are come on business of state 
to the Queen, and even her sleep must give way to 
that.' It did ; and to prove that she did not keep 
them waiting, in a few moments she came into the 
room in a loose white night-gown and shawl, her 
night-cap thrown off and her hair falling upon her 
shoulders, her feet in slippers, tears in her eyes, but 
perfectly collected and dignified." 

There is a legend — in which we want to believe — 
to the effect that the Princess threw off her night-cap 
and addressed her first words as Queen to his Grace 
of Canterbury and said, "I beg your Grace to pray 
me" — which the Prelate did with great tenderness. 
Others say she threw herself into her mother's arms 
and wept. Let us beheve both records true, and 
honor the young Queen for both. 

Perhaps our youthful Queen 

Remembers what has been — 
Her childhood's rest by loving heart. 

And sport on grassy sod — 

Alas! can others wear 

A mother's heart for her? 
But calm she lifts her trusting face 

And calleth upon God. 



SUMMONED TO THE THRONE. 55 

Yea! call on God, thou maiden 

Of spirit nobly laden, 
And leave such happy days behind. 

For happy-making years 

A nation looks to thee 

For steadfast sympathy. 
Make room within thy bright clear eyes, 

For all its gathered tears. 

And so the grateful isles 

Shall give thee back their smiles, 
And as thy mother joys in thee. 

In them shalt thou rejoice; 

Rejoice to meekly bow 

A somewhat paler brow, 
While the King of Kings shall bless thee 

By the British people's voice. 

— Elizabeth Barrett Browning. 

The first act of the maiden Queen was typical of 
her gentle, sympathetic nature, and worthy of her 
royal state. Immediately on the departure of the 
Lord Chancellor and the Archbishop of Canterbury, 
the new Sovereign wrote a tender and loving letter 
of condolence to the Queen Dowager, who was 
bowed in the first agonies of widowhood. She would 
be among the very first to speak a word of tender 
sympathy to her dear Aunt Adelaide, but with a 
delicacy of thought that was very beautiful in one so 
young, she used the old order of address and sent her 
letter to "Her Majesty the Queen." When the un- 
altered form of address was pointed out most respect- 
fully by a member of the royal household, the youth- 
ful Queen replied : "Transmit it as it is ; I will not 
be the first to recognize the change." 

A Privy Council was summoned and before the 



56 SUMMONED TO THE THRONE. 

sun turned toward the west the Queen had met the 
nation in its chief representatives. 

The Council was held in the grand saloon of Ken- 
sington Palace at high noon of this eventful 20th of 
June, 1837. The gathering was unusually large, there 
being ninety members of the Council present. That 
the ancient throne of England was to be ascended by 
a maiden in the morning of her years, was in itself a 
matter of romantic interest; and more than this, these 
sagacious statesmen knew that the accession of this 
young Princess meant the dawn of a new and brighter 
era in English history. No wonder that these august 
and venerable servants of the state crowded the 
audience chamber on this auspicious occasion. And 
to the fair Victoria, it must have been a trying ordeal 
to meet face to face these great dignitaries of her 
state, herself the "observed of all observers." Mr. 
Disraeli described that gathering as that "bewildering 
crowd" summoned for the first time within her 
bowers. 

'Tn a palace in a garden, not in a haughty keep, 
proud with the fame but dark with the violence of 
ages; not in a regal pile, bright with the splendor, 
but soiled with the intrigues of court and factions ; 
in a palace in a garden, meet scene for youth, and 
innocence, and beauty, came a voice that told the 
maiden that she must ascend her throne ! The council 
of England is summoned for the first time within her 
bowers. There are assembled the prelates and cap- 
tains and chief men of her realm ; the priests of the 
religion that consoles, the heroes of the sword that 
has conquered, the votaries of the craft that has de- 
cided the fate of empires ! men gray with thought and 



SUMMONED TO THE THRONE. 57 

fame, and age, who are the stewards of divine mys- 
teries, who have toiled in secret cabinets, who have 
encountered in battle the hosts of Europe, who have 
struggled in the less merciful strife of aspiring senates ; 
men, some of them, lords of a thousand vessels and 
chief proprietors of provinces, yet not one of them 
whose heart does not at this moment tremble as he 
awaits the first presence of the maiden who now must 
ascend her throne. A hum of half-suppressed con- 
versation which would attempt to conceal the excite- 
ment, which some of the greatest of them have since 
acknowledged, fills that brilliant assemblage ; that 
sea of plumes, and glittering stars, and gorgeous 
dresses. Hush ! the portals open ; she comes ; the 
silence is as deep as that of a noontide forest. At- 
tended for a moment by her royal mother and the 
ladies of her court, who bow and then retire, Victoria 
ascends her throne, a girl, alone, and for the first time 
amid an assemblage of men. In a sweet and thrilling 
voice, and with a composed mien which indicates 
rather the absorbing sense of august duty than an 
absence of emotion, the Queen announces her acces- 
sion to the throne of her ancestors and her humble 
hope that divine providence will guard over the ful- 
filment of her lofty trust. The prelates and captains 
and chief men of her realm then advance to the throne, 
and, kneeling before her, pledge their troth, and take 
the sacred oaths of allegiance and supremacy. Alle- 
giance to one who rules over the land that the great 
Macedonian could not conquer ; and over a continent 
of which even Columbus never dreamed : to the queen 
of every sea, and of nations of every zone ! It is not 
of these that I would speak ; but of a nation nearer 



58 SUMMONED TO THE THRONE. 

her footstool, and which at this moment looks to her 
with anxiety, with affection, perhaps with hope. Fair 
and serene, she has the blood and beauty of the Saxon. 
Will it be her proud destiny at length to bear relief to 
suffering millions, and, with that soft hand which 
might inspire troubadours and guerdon knights, break 
the last links in the chain of Saxon thraldom?" 
Another eye-witness relates the following: 
"Arriving at the Palace, I was shown into the ante- 
chamber of the Music Room. It was filled with Privy 
Councillors standing round the long table, set in 
order, as it seemed, for a Council, Sir Robert Peel 
and the Duke of Wellington on the right, near the 
head of the table, Lords Melbourne and Lansdowne, 
in full dress, with others of the Whig party, on the 
left, near the top of the table. The Duke of Argyle, 
and one or two officers of the Household, were behind 
the arm-chair at the top. There were nearly ninety 
Privy Councillors present, — so I was told. After a 
little time, Lord Lansdowne, President of the Council, 
advancing to the table, addressed the Lords and others 
of the Council, and informed them of the death of 
William IV., and announced to them it was their duty 
to inform Her Majesty Queen Victoria of that event, 
and of her accession. He added that he, accompanied 
by those who might choose to assist him, would wait 
upon Her Majesty. Accordingly, Lord Lansdowne 
and Lord Melbourne, the Duke of Cumberland (now 
King of Hanover), and the Duke of Sussex, together 
with the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and 
the Lord Chancellor, withdrew through the folding 
doors behind the arm-chair, and saw the Queen. She 



SUMMONED TO THE THRONE. 59 

was alone ; but Lord Lansdowne told me that as they 
entered they saw a lady retiring into the back apart- 
ment. Lord Lansdowne returned, and informed the 
Council they had seen the Queen. * * * Not 
long afterwards the door was thrown open, and the 
Dukes of Sussex and Cumberland (who had returned) 
advanced to receive Her Majesty, and the young 
creature walked in and took her seat in the armchair. 
She was very plainly dressed in mourning, — a black 
scarf round her neck, without any cap or ornament ; 
but her hair was braided tastily on the top of her head. 
She inclined herself gracefully on taking her seat. * 
* * Soon after she was seated Lord Melbourne 
stepped forward and presented her with a paper, from 
which she read her declaration. 

H= 5^ Hs Hs Hi * 

" 'The severe and afflicting loss which the nation 
has sustained by the death of His Majesty, my be- 
loved uncle, has devolved upon me the duty of admin- 
istering the government of this Empire. This awful 
responsibility is imposed upon me so suddenly, and 
at so early a period of my life, that I should feel my- 
self utterly oppressed by the burden were I not sus- 
tained by the hope that Divine Providence, which has 
called me to this work, will give me strength for the 
performance of it, and that I shall find in the purity 
of my intentions, and in my zeal for the pubhc welfare, 
that support and those resources which usually belong 
to a more mature age and to long experience. I place 
my firm reliance on the wisdom of Providence, and 
upon the loyalty and affection of my people. I esteem 
it, also, a peculiar advantage that I succeed to a sov- 
ereign whose constant regard for the rights and liber- 



60 SUMMONED TO THE THRONE. 

ties of his subjects, and whose desire to promote the 
amehoration of the laws and institutions of this coun- 
try, have rendered his name the object of general 
attachment and veneration. Educated in England, 
under the tender and enlightened care of a most affec- 
tionate mother, I have learned from my infancy to 
respect and love the constitution of my native country. 
It will be my unceasing study to maintain the reformed 
religion, as by law established, securing, at the same 
time, to all the full enjoyment of religious liberty. 
And I shall steadily protect the rights and promote to 
the utmost of my power the happiness and welfare of 
all classes of my subjects.' " 

She went through this difificult task with the utmost 
grace and propriety, — neither too timid nor too 
assured. Her voice was rather subdued, but not fal- 
tering, pronouncing the words clearly, and seeming 
to feel the sense of what she spoke. Every one 
appeared touched with her manner, especially the 
Duke of Wellington and Lord Melbourne; I saw 
some tears in the eyes of the latter. The only person 
who was rather more curious than affected was Lord 
Lyndhurst, who looked over Her Majesty's shoulder 
as she was reading, as if to see that she read all that 
was set down for her. 

"After reading the Declaration, Her Majesty took 
the usual oath, which was administered to her by 
Mr. Charles Greville, Clerk of the Council, who, by 
the way, let the Prayer-book drop. The Queen then 
subscribed the oath, and a dupHcate of it for Scotland. 
She was then designated in the beginning of the oath 
Alexandrina Victoria, but she signed herself Victoria 



SUMMONED TO THE THRONE. 61 

R. Her handwriting was good. Several of the Coun- 
cil — Lord Lyndhurst, the Duke of Cumberland, and 
the Duke of Wellington — came to the table to look 
at the signature, as if to discover what her accomplish- 
ments were in that department. Some formal Orders 
in Council were made and proclamations signed by 
the Queen, who addressed Lords Lansdowne and 
Melbourne with smiles several times, and with much 
cordiality. 

'The next part of the ceremony was swearing in 
new Privy Council. A cushion was placed on the 
right-hand of the Queen's chair, and the Dukes of 
Cumberland and Sussex first took the oaths. They 
kissed the hand of the Queen; she saluted them 
affectionately on the cheek. She had kissed them 
before in the inner apartment, as Lord Lansdowne 
told me. The Archbishops and Chancellor were then 
sworn ; after them Lords Lansdowne and Melbourne, 
and the Duke of WelHngton. After that, they swore 
in twenty together. There was a good deal of bustle 
and noise while this was going on. * * * fhg 
ceremony over, some of us sat down to the Council 
table. During this time the doors of the Chamber 
were opened frequently, and many persons were 
admitted to see the young Queen, who continued 
quietly sitting at the head of the table, giving her 
approval in usual form to several orders in Council." 

Mr. Charles Greville, the Clerk of the Council, thus 
describes this memorable scene : 

"The King died at twenty minutes after two yes- 
terday morning, and the young Queen met the Coun- 
cil at Kensington Palace at eleven. Never was any- 
thing like the first impression she produced, or the 



62 SUMMONED TO THE THRONE. 

chorus of praise and admiration whch is raised about 
her manner and behavior, and certainly not without 
justice. It was very extraordinary, and something 
far beyond what was looked for. Her extreme youth 
and inexperience, and the ignorance of the world con- 
cerning her, naturally excited intense curiosity to see 
how she would act on this trying occasion, and there 
was a considerable assemblage at the palace, not- 
withstanding the short notice which was given. The 
first thing to be done was to teach her her lesson, 
which, for this purpose, Melbourne had himself to 
learn. * * * 5^^ bowed to the lords, took her 
seat, and then read her speech in a clear, distinct, and 
audible voice, and without any appearance of fear or 
embarrassment. She was quite plainly dressed, and 
in mourning. After she had read her speech, and 
taken and signed the oath for the security of the 
Church of Scotland, the privy councillors were sworn, 
the two royal dukes first by themselves ; and as these 
two old men, her uncles, knelt before her, swearing 
allegiance and kissing her hand, I saw her blush up 
to the eyes, as if she felt the contrast between their 
civil and their natural relations, and this was the only 
sign of emotion which she evinced. Her manner to 
them was very graceful and engaging; she kissed 
them both, and rose from her chair and moved 
towards the Duke of Sussex, who was farthest 
from her, and too infirm to reach her. She 
seemed rather bewildered at the multitude of men 
who were sworn, and who came, one after an- 
other, to kiss her hand, but she did not speak to 
anybody, nor did she make the sHghtest difference in 
her manner, or show any in her countenance, to any 



SUMMONED TO THE THRONE. 63 

individual of any rank, station, or party. I particularly 
watched her when Melbourne and the ministers, and 
the Duke of Wellington and Peel approached her. 
She went through the whole ceremony, occasionally 
looking at Melbourne for instruction when she had 
any doubt what to do, which hardly ever occurred, 
and with perfect calmness and self-possession, but at 
the same time with a graceful modesty and propriety 
particularly interesting and ingratiating." 

A very pleasant story is told of the way in which 
the young Queen, in a spirit of gentle mirth, issued 
her first command to her royal mother. Victoria had 
been excited and was greatly fatigued by the crowded 
events of the day, and the moment she was free to 
leave the solemn presence of her Council, she hastened 
with all speed to her mother's chamber, and, throwing 
herself with child-Hke abandon into those dear arms 
that had sheltered and comforted her through all her 
happy youth, broke forth into a fit of passionate weep- 
ing. How the mother brooded in tenderness over her 
royal daughter, how she soothed her with gentle 
words and sweet embraces, it is needless to tell. The 
storm of tears subsided, and the child-queen said : 

"I can scarcely beHeve that I am Queen of Eng- 
land! But I suppose I am so, am I not?" 

"You know you are, my love," responded the 
gracious smiling mother; "the scene you have just 
left must have assured you of it." 

"I suppose I shall grow used to it," said the Queen 
with a sigh, and then half playfully she continued, 
"Since it is so, and your little daughter is Sovereign 
of this great country, I shall make you, my dear 
mamma, the object of my first royal experiment. 



64 SUMMONED TO THE THRONE. 

Your Queen commands you, dear mamma, to leave 
her alone, quite alone for two hours !" 

And so, the first day of Victoria's reign came to a 
close, the day so full of exciting scenes, freighted with 
such import to England and the world. And in the 
sweet silence of that June night, the royal maiden 
slept. 

"Peace, peace, Orestes like we breathe the prayer, 
Descend with broad-winged flight, 
The thrice prayed for, the most fair, 
The best beloved night." 




QUEEN VICTORIA— HER LAST PORTRAIT. 




FOUR GENERATIONS OF ENGLISH ROYALTY. 
Queen Victoria, Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, and Prince Edward of York. 



CHAPTER VI. 



PROCLAIMED QUEEN. 

The Princess Victoria was formally proclaimed 
Queen of Great Britain and Ireland on the 21st of 
June, from St, James's Palace. Long before the time 
fixed for the interesting ceremony a vast crowd had 
gathered, filling every available space, every balcony 
and window, every parapet and point of vantage. 
One of the most interested and excited of the crowd 
was the great Irish agitator, Dan O'Connell, who 
occupied a place in the very front ranks, cheering 
vociferously. At ten o'clock the guns in the Park 
fired a royal salute, upon which the maiden Queen 
made her appearance, to the boundless delight of the 
assembled crowds. She stood between Lord Mel- 
bourne and Lord Lansdowne, and was received with 
deafening cheers. Immediately behind the young 
Queen the form of her gracious mother was seen, 
whose presence evoked the most cordial and hearty 
plaudits. The mothers of England loved the Duchess 
of Kent, and not without sufficient cause. The Queen 
was much fatigued and excited, but her pale face 
flushed with genial appreciation, as peal after peal of 
loyal cheers shook the whole region with their merry 
music. 

The Queen was dressed in deep mourning, with a 
white tippet, white cuffs, and a border of white lace 
under a small black bonnet, which was placed far 
6 65 



66 PROCLAIMED QUEEN. 

back on her head, exhibiting her light hair in front, 
simply parted over her forehead. As Her Majesty 
appeared at the window, the band of the Royal Guards 
struck up the National Anthem. On its conclusion. 
Sir William Woods, acting for the Garter King-at- 
Arms, and accompanied by the Duke of Norfolk, as 
Earl Marshal of England, read aloud the Proclama- 
tion. 

The following is the form of Proclamation adopted 
by the Privy Council : 

"Whereas, it has pleased Almighty God to call to 
His Mercy, our late Sovereign, King William the 
Fourth, of blessed and glorious memory, by whose 
decease the Imperial Crown of the United Kingdom 
of Great Britain and Ireland, is solely and rightfully 
come to the High and Mighty Princess Alexandrina 
Victoria ; saving the rights of any which may be born 
of his late Majesty's Consort. We, therefore, the 
lords spiritual and temporal of this realm, being here 
assisted with those of his late Majesty's Privy Council, 
with members of others, principal gentlemen of 
quality, with the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and citizens 
of London, do now, hereby, with one voice, and con- 
sent of tongue and heart, publish and proclaim, that 
the High and Mighty Princess, Alexandrina Victoria, 
is now, by the death of our late Sovereign of happy 
memory, become our only lawful and rightful liege 
Lady Victoria, by the Grace of God, Queen of the 
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 
Defender of the Faith (saving as aforesaid), to whom 
(saving as aforesaid) we do acknowledge all faith and 
constant obedience, with all hearty and humble affec- 
tion, beseeching God, by whom Kings and Queens 



PROCLAIMED QUEEN. 67 

do reign, to bless the royal Princess Victoria with 
long and happy years to reign over us. 

"Given at the Court at Kensington, this 26th day 
of June, 1837. 

"God Save the Queen." 

The Queen stood during the whole rehearsal of the 
Proclamation. She was deeply moved by the intense 
enthusiasm of her loving people, so moved that tears 
started to her eyes and fell down her fair pale cheeks. 
Elizabeth Barrett immortalized these tears in a mem- 
orable poem, two stanzas of which we quote : 

"God save thee, weeping Queen! 

Thou shalt be well beloved: 
The tyrant's sceptre cannot move 

As those poor tears have moved 
The nature in thine eyes we see 

Which tyrants cannot own — 
The love that guardeth liberties 
Strange blessing on the Nation lies, 

Whose Sovereign wept — 
Yea, wept to wear its crown. 

"God bless thee, weeping Queen! 

With blessing more divine, 
And fill with better love than earth's 

That tender hearth of thine; 
That when the throne shall be 

As low as graves brought down, 
A pierced hand may give to thee 
The Crown which angels shout to see; 

Thou wilt not weep 
To wear that heavenly crown." 

On first hearing of the King's death, Prince Albert 
addressed the following beautiful and characteristic 
letter to the young Queen. It is the first of his which 
we have, written in English, and, allowing for a 



68 PROCLAIMED QUEEN. 

somewhat foreign turn and formality of expression, 
it shows what proficiency he had already made in a 
language which, from the correctness with which he 
both spoke and wrote it, he soon made his own. 
"How much," says one who had deeply studied his 
character, "of the Prince's great nature is visible in it. 
Though addressed to a young and powerful Queen, 
there is not a word of flattery in it. His first thought 
is of the great responsibility of the position, the happi- 
ness of the millions that was at stake. Then comes 
the anxious hope that the reign may be glorious." 

"Bonn, 26th June, 1837. 

"My Dearest Cousin, — I must write you a few lines 
to present you my sincerest felicitations on that great 
change which has taken place in your life. 

"Now you are Queen of the mightiest land of 
Europe, in your hand lies the happiness of millions. 
May Heaven assist you and strengthen you with its 
strength in that high but difficult task. 

"I hope that your reign may be long, happy, and 
glorious, and that your efforts may be rewarded by 
the thankfulness and love of your subjects. 

"May I pray you to think likewise sometimes of 
your cousins in Bonn, and to continue to them that 
kindness you favored them with till now. Be assured 
that our minds are always with you. 

"I will not be indiscreet and abuse your time. 
Believe me always your Majesty's most obedient and 
faithful servant, ALBERT." 

This high-minded noble young monarch had 
scarcely set her foot upon the throne before she took 
her trusty councillor, Lord Melbourne, into her con- 



PROCLAIMED QUEEN. 69 

fidence and expressed an ardent desire to pay her 
father's debts. The question of her Hability, or of any 
excuses based on the miserable allowance on which 
the Duke of Kent had been compelled to subsist, 
did not enter into the question. The young Queen 
wanted her father's name to be clear before the world. 
"I must do it. I consider it a sacred duty," said Her 
Majesty. This was not a mere matter of sentiment, 
the Queen was jealous of her father's honor, she 
wanted to silence tongues too much given to talking, 
and to Hft her father's name forever above reproach. 
There was a royal honesty in all this, and these were 
elements of character that endeared Victoria to her 
people. If the mothers of England loved this girl- 
queen for her filial piety and devotion to her mother, 
— thoughtful, earnest men honored her for her 
womanly pride in her father's honor. The debts were 
paid in due course. Lord Fitzwilliam and Lord 
Dundas were among the Duke of Kent's heaviest 
creditors. Representatives, of these peers received 
the amounts due, accompanied by a beautiful piece 
of plate from the Queen, with a personal letter ex- 
pressive of the deep sense of obligation towards those 
who had been her father's friends in the days when he 
needed firm and faithful friends. 

It need hardly be said that this was a matter of 
great delight to the Duchess of Kent. 

When Her Majesty first began the real, serious 
work of her life, Viscount Melbourne regretted very 
much the necessity of troubling her so early in the 
mornings, and spoke apologetically of the close appli- 
cation and hard work rendered unavoidable by so large 



70 PROCLAIMED QUEEN. 

a number of wearisome State Documents. The 
youthful Queen replied: 

"My Lord, it is but a change of occupation. I have 
not lived a life of leisure, and, as you know, it is not 
long since I left ofif my daily lessons." 

On the 13th of July, she left forever the home of 
her birth and the scenes of her happy childhood. It 
must have cost her a pang to say farewell to dear, 
quaint, old Kensington, even though she was about 
to find a home in stately Buckingham Palace. 

From the day of her father's death until she 
ascended the throne, the Queen had never passed a 
night outside her mother's bedchamber. She had 
never been seen in public or even heard of except in 
conjunction with her mother. 

On the 17th of July the Queen went from Bucking- 
ham Palace in state to dissolve Parliament. The 
procession was hailed by enthusiastic shouts from 
assembled crowds through the park and in Parliament 
Street, all anxious to see the youthful sovereign. She 
was escorted by a squadron of the Horse Guards. At 
the entrance to the House of Lords the Queen was 
received by the Foot Guards, their band playing the 
National Anthem. The fair young sovereign took 
her seat on the throne with a graceful and composed 
dignity which greatly impressed the noble assembly. 
The distinguished American Senator, Charles Sum- 
ner, was present on this occasion, and bears his testi- 
mony to the graceful manner in which the youthful 
monarch discharged the trying duties of the hour. 
Mr. Sumner praised very highly the manner in which 
the Queen read the speech from the throne. 

Fanny Kemble, who was also present, tells us that 



PROCLAIMED QUEEN. 71 

the Queen "was not handsome, but very pretty, and 
the singularity of her great position lent a sentimental 
and poetical charm to her youthful face and figure. 
The serene, serious sweetness of her candid brow and 
clear soft eyes gave dignity to the girhsh countenance, 
while the want of height only added to the effect of 
extreme youth of the round but slender person and 
gracefully-moulded hands and arms. The Queen's 
voice was exquisite, nor have I ever heard any spoken 
words more musical in their gentle distinctness than 
'My Lords and Gentlemen,' which broke the breath- 
less silence of the illustrious assembly, whose gaze 
was riveted on that fair flower of royalty. The enun- 
ciation was as perfect as the intonation was melodious, 
and I think it impossible to hear a more excellent 
utterance than that of the Queen's English by the 
English Queen." 

The closing words of the Queen's first speech to 
Parliament deserve to be held in perpetual remem- 
brance. With a clear and distinct utterance, and with 
a hopeful smile on her fair young face, she said : 

'T ascend the throne with a deep sense of the 
responsibility which is imposed upon me ; but I am 
supported by the consciousness of my own right in- 
tentions, and my dependence upon the protection of 
Almighty God. It will be my care to strengthen our 
institutions, civil and ecclesiastical, by discreet im- 
provement whenever improvement is required ; and 
to do all in my power to compose and allay animosity 
and discord. Acting upon these principles, I shall 
upon all occasions look with confidence to the wisdom 
of Parliament and the afifections of my people, which 



72 PROCLAIMED QUEEN. 

form the true support of the dignity of the Crown, 
and ensure the stabiHty of the Constitution." 

Then rang out from a thousand voices long and 
loud and clear the loyal benediction: "God save the 
Queen." - 

On the 22nd of August in this happy year, the 
Queen made her royal progress to Windsor. She 
traveled in an open barouche accompanied by the 
Duchess of Kent, with outriders in scarlet liveries, 
and a party of Lancers, "The Queen's Own," by way 
of escort. Crowds of people everywhere welcomed 
her presence with loyal acclamations. All through 
Kensington, Hammersmith, Brentford, Hounslow, 
triumphal arches spanned the crowded thoroughfares, 
and tens of thousands of happy people, clad in holiday 
attire, thronged the streets to catch a glimpse of Her 
Majesty and shout, "God save the Queen." The 
Long Walk at Windsor was alive with an immense 
concourse of people. A novel procession of bachelors, 
all wearing white roses in their coats, lined the avenue 
by which the Queen approached the Castle. The guns 
on the towers of Windsor boomed loud and long their 
thunderous welcome to the new Sovereign. 

One of the most pleasant features of this royal 
home-coming was a feast at which four thousand two 
hundred poor people sat down at seventy-two tables, 
each being thirteen yards in length. A grand display 
of fireworks closed the eventful day. 

Two distinguished Indian gentlemen, Jehangeer 
Nowrojee and Hirjeeboy of Bombay, were in Eng- 
land in 1837, and took the opportunity of getting a 
glim.pse of their youthful Sovereign at Windsor, and 



PROCLAIMED QUEEN. 73 

this is the pleasant record they made in a book pub- 
lished in Bombay on their return : 

"We saw Her Majesty coming on the terrace, and 
everybody ranged themselves on both sides of the 
road to pay their respects and have a peep at their 
youthful Sovereign. She was plainly dressed and we 
had the honor and gratification of seeing her. She 
passed close by where we stood, and had in attend- 
ance on her Lord Melbourne and Lord Falkland. 
There were many others who were not pointed out 
to us. We were, of course, steadfastly and earnestly 
gazing on the face of that young lady, who held so 
high and important a post as the Queen of Great 
Britain, and we were asking ourselves whether she 
would not in all probability had her lot been to pass 
through life as Princess Victoria, when attracted by 
our costume, she looked upon us. We made our 
salaams, and we received our answer in that look to 
the thought which had been in our minds. We saw 
in an instant that she was fitted by nature for — and 
intended to be— a Queen. We perceived a native 
nobility and expression which conveyed to us the 
idea that if meek and amiable, she could also be firm 
and commanding, and imagined that, should no un- 
foreseen end tarnish the lustre of her reign, it would 
come to be known and quoted as England's Golden 
Age." 



CHAPTER VII. 



AMONGST HER LOYAL PEOPLE. 

In October of this busy year it was felt that a little 
rest, in change of scene and surroundings, together 
with the healthful breezes of the sea, would be very 
beneficial to Her Majesty. So, just as "the leaves 
were paling yellow, and trembling with red," the 
Queen and her Court went for a brief sojourn to 
Brighton, which was then known as "the Queen of 
the English watering places," or, as we should call 
it, the Gem of Seaside Resorts. All along the journey 
the Queen and her Court witnessed the most enthu-. 
siastic tokens of loyalty and devotion. All along the 
journey, ^om London to the sea, triumphal arches 
decorated with banners and loyal mottoes and 
resplendent with brilliant flowers, greeted the young 
Monarch as she rode along. Villages and hamlets 
vied with each other in bidding Victoria welcome, 
and though these demonstrations were less preten- 
tious than the parades and carnivals of great cities, 
they were not less hearty or sincere. The bells rang, 
bands played woefuly out of tune, but deeply in har- 
mony with the spirit of the occasion. At almost every 
turn of the winding way some new feature of special 
interest served to break up the monotony of the royal 
progress. At Crowley the Queen was received by a 
band of gallant yeomen bearing white staves, who of 
course insisted on presenting an address. At Hurs- 

74 



AMONGST HER LOYAL PEOPLE. 75 

pierpont one of the loveliest scenes presented itself. 
Right and left the way was lined with little children 
daintily attired, who scattered flowers in the way and 
sung- "God Save the Queen," while the church bells 
rang out a merry peal. 

Brighton gave itself up to the intoxication of loyal 
delights. The houses were bowers of vernal beauty, 
gay with streamers and tossing banners; guns were 
fired, bells were rung, bands played, choirs sung. At 
night the city broke out in a conflagration of loyalty. 
Such brilliant fireworks illuminated Brighton that 
night — and sailors far out at sea said they had never 
witnessed such a sight — it seemed as if Old England 
was all ablaze with gladness. 

As the Accession year was drawing to its close, 
another great pageant awaited the Queen. The Cor- 
poration of the City of London had invited their 
young Sovereign to pay them a visit at the Guild 
Hall on November the 9th, the ensuing Lord Mayor's 
Day, and that goodly corporation, that never did any- 
thing by halves, was resolved to make that welcome 
worthy alike of the good old city of London, and 
worthy of the youthful Queen. All London went mad 
with delight. Fabulous prices were paid for positions 
along the route where a pleasant sight of the proces- 
sion might be obtained.- Windows in Fleet street 
rented for $350. A week before the great event the 
struggle for tickets became intense. The sum of $250 
was freely offered for a ticket to witness the banquet 
at the Guild Hall. But these offers were all in vain ! 
Those who had them held on to them. Such an 
event would only happen once in a lifetime ! A 
thousand items more or less interesting may be 



76 AMONGST HER LOYAL PEOPLE. 

gathered from a perusal of the journals of that day. 
Nothing, nor great nor small, escaped the Argus eyes 
of the press. They tell us that the Duke of Cam- 
bridge said it was the grandest event he had ever 
witnessed. The Duke of Wellington, who was never 
extravagant in speech, thought the arrangements sur- 
prisingly perfect. 

The Royal Artillery Company acted as a Guard of 
Honor under the Duke of Sussex. One of the most 
charming features was that of rows upon rows of 
delighted children, ranging in age from three to 
twelve, standing in a row on either side the footway 
in Pall Mall. 

The morning was dull and drizzling, as November 
mornings mostly are in London; the mud was so 
plentiful and persistent that the Aldermen who rode 
on horseback during the progress of the procession 
with Sir Peter Laurie at their head, wisely and judi- 
ciously wore over their silk stockings and satin 
breeches buckram overalls as a protection against 
the mud. 

As the day grew older it grew brighter, and all 
along the route the enthusiasm grew more and more 
pronounced. From every window and housetop 
banners and handkerchiefs were tossed and waved. 
London had but one all-absorbing thought that 
November day, and that of loyalty to its Queen. 

Opposite St. Martin's Church the voices of the chil- 
dren of the parochial schools formed a grand chorus. 
In the yard of the new church in the Strand, the 
King's College students occupied platforms. The 
Mistress of the Robes, and her Master of the Horse, 
Lord Albemarle, accompanied the Queen in the 



AMONGST HER LOYAL PEOPLE. 77 

magnificent but cumbersome carriage of State. The 
State carriages of the Ambassadors and Foreign 
Ministers fell into line with those of the Cabinet Min- 
isters, at Temple Bar, the royal and civic processions 
met, and the usual ceremony observed oil such occa- 
sions of presenting the Monarch with the keys and 
sword of the City was duly and solemnly performed. 
In St Paul's churchyard the Bluecoat boys were in all 
their glory, and one Frederick Gififord Nash, the 
senior of the school, boldly advanced to the Royal 
State carriage and read an address about the school 
and its royal founder. Master Nash with great elo- 
quence endeavored to impress on the young and 
beautiful Queen that "King Edward the Sixth was 
himself a youthful sovereign." Whereupon the Blue- 
coat boys with one heart and voice sang loud and 
lustily: "God Save the Queen." 

A dozen quaint and pleasant stories are told by the 
gossips of the time that will be full of interest to the 
readers of this generation. 

As for example, we are informed that a throne was 
placed amid flowers and sweet-smelling shrubs, con- 
structed of carved wood, richly gilt and upholstered, 
with embroidered white satin, and gold-adorned crim- 
son velvet, raised upon a dais, covered with ermine 
and gold carpeting, beneath a canopy of crimson 
velvet, laced and adorned with gold. So the Guild 
Hall became a palace with a sumptuous throne for 
the radiant young Queen. 

The Queen's dress on that occasion, — and surely 
there was not a lady in all the land but was interested 
to know what the Queen wore that day — was exclu- 
sively of British manufacture. It was pale pink satin. 



78 AMONGST HER LOYAL PEOPLE. 

richly brocaded with silver, the skirt opening on 
either side, and trimmed with rich bullion fringe, 
fastened with large rosettes of diamonds, a diamond- 
adorned stomacher, and sleeves looped with diamond 
tassels and costly lace. 

The Duchess of Kent was most charmingly attired 
in a silver-tissue dress, having a skirt trimmed with 
two blonde flounces looped at the sides with diamonds 
and amethysts, bodice and sleeves, ornamented with 
diamonds and amethysts, with feathers and diamonds 
in her hair. 

The old romantic Elizabethian legend of Sir Walter 
Raleigh's loyalty in making his cloak a carpet for 
his Queen was repeated in London on this auspicious 
day. Common-Councilman Heving, then the City 
Upholsterer, found it convenient to be near the 
"alighting stone" at Guild Hall when Her Majesty 
stepped from the State carriage, and suddenly spread 
over the cold, muddy stone a piece of richly adorned 
scarlet velvet carpet for the dainty foot of his Queen 
to step upon. 

The banquet of that day was one of the most gor- 
geous functions on record. The Goldsmiths' Com- 
pany lent a magnificent chandelier of solid gold to 
grace the occasion. The dessert plates were of 
enamelled glass, expressly manufactured for the occa- 
sion, and were afterwards placed on exhibition. 

A poor, lame Carmarthen fisherman provided the 
only salmon on the table, which he had caught and 
had sent to the Corporation of London as a real 
dainty dish to set before the Queen. 

It was said that the wine drank at this banquet was 
a hundred and twenty years old. 



AMONGST HER LOYAL PEOPLE. 79 

A little after eight o'clock the trumpets were blown, 
the Queen and her party returned to Windsor well 
pleased with the day's delights, and so the royal 
pageant ended. 

Lord Mayor Cowan was made a Baronet and the 
two Sheriffs were Knighted. One of these was Mr. 
Moses Montefiore. The Knighting of Mr. Monte- 
fiore was a matter of special interest on two grounds. 
First, from the fact that he was the first member of 
the Jewish race on whom that honor had been con- 
ferred. Of course the Jews resident in England highly 
appreciated the honor, and their loyalty to the Queen 
and her throne was largely increased. But there were 
many others, not of that ancient race, who regarded 
this indication of the Queen's broad, liberal-minded- 
ness with unqualified admiration. 

The Knightship of Sir Moses Montefiore recalls a 
very pleasant little episode of the Queen's earlier life. 
In the days of her girlhood, the Duchess of Kent and 
the Princess Victoria were often at Ramsgate, where 
Mr. Moses Montefiore had a delightful house, with 
spacious grounds and beautiful gardens. It was the 
custom in England in those days, perhaps not without 
sufficient reason in such places as Ramsgate, to keep 
private grounds and gardens fenced in and well 
guarded with locked gates. The princess was fre- 
quently seen peeping over the garden wall delighted 
with all the floral beauty growing on the other side. 
How this came to Mr. Montefiore's ears was never 
known, but one day the Duchess of Kent was asked 
to accept a little gift for her royal daughter, which 
he hoped would be used whenever she wished. It was 
a little golden key which opened the gates into those 



80 AMONGST HER LOYAL PEOPLE. 

charming grounds, and would admit the Princess and 
her friends whenever she chose to enter. 

When Her Majesty breathed the magic words with 
the sword of Knighthood in her hand: "Rise, Sir 
Moses Montefiore" — it may be she gave a grateful 
thought to the little golden key and the beautiful 
gardens at Ramsgate. 

Sir Moses Montefiore was one of the greatest phil- 
anthropists of his age. He lived to the great age of 
loi years, dying the year before the Jubilee Celebra- 
tion of the Queen. 

The first Parliament of the Queen's reign opened 
its first session November 20th, 1837, Her Majesty 
presiding in person. The enthusiasm of eleven days 
before, when the Queen paid her memorable visit to 
Guild Hall, had by no means died out. The Sovereign 
went in State to open her first Parliament. A party 
of Life Guards, gorgeous in their military costumes, 
formed the royal escort, and at the head of the 
famous cream-colored horses, that did such good ser- 
vice in this year of pageants, walked a goodly company 
of grooms most brilliantly attired. The people had 
their place in this festival, and the streets all along 
the route were crowded with happy, loyal throngs. At 
two o'clock Her Majesty entered the House of Lords, 
wearing a white dress with deep bulHon fringe, a 
magnificent diadem, earrings, necklace, and stom- 
acher of diamonds, an ermine cape and robes of crim- 
son velvet and gold completed her adornment. Lord 
Kilmarnock, Master EUice and Master Cavendish 
served as pages of honor; and were associated with 
the Duchess of Sutherland and the Marchioness of 
Lansdowne in the care of the long train. The scene 



AMONGST HER LOYAL PEOPLE. 81 

in the House of Lords was brilliant beyond descrip- 
tion. The peeresses of England and lords and ladies 
of high degree thronged every available space. One 
who was present says : "Their head-dresses in the 
mass looked like a forest of nodding plumes." 

Viscount Melbourne preceded Her Majesty, bear- 
ing the Sword of State, and the Earl of Shaftesbury ' 
followed with the Cap of Maintenance. 'The Duke of 
Wellington," says an eye-witness, "the best-dressed 
man in the House of Lords, appeared on this occasion 
at his best. Stately and venerable, his white hair 
combed and brushed with scrupulous care, his ermined 
robe worn over his Field Marshal's uniform, his 
carriage, considering his advanced years, singularly 
dignified and erect." 

After having commanded her noble Lords to "be 
seated," the Queen, in clear and audible tones, read 
her speech, which bristled with matters of vital im- 
portance. Without a blush, she asked for a new pro- 
vision for the Civil List ; she then called attention to 
the State of Canada, and to the Government of 
Ireland; and then, in subdued but earnest tones, to 
which the vast audience listened with profound and 
loyal attention, the Queen seemed to take her country 
into her confidence and trust as she spoke these 
memorable words : 

"In meeting this Parliament, the first that has been 
elected by my authority, I am anxious to declare my 
confidence in your loyalty and wisdom. The early 
age at which I am called to the Sovereignty of this 
Kingdom renders it an imperative duty that, under 
Divine Providence, I should place my reliance upon 
e 



82 AMONGST HER LOYAL PEOPLE. 

your cordial co-operation, and upon the love and 
affection of all my people." 

During this sitting of her first Parliament, Her 
Majesty made royal declaration of her Protestant 
faith. The Lord Chancellor read the solemn declara- 
tion which the Queen repeated after him, sentence for 
sentence, very articulately, the vast audience listening 
with most profound and solemn attention : 

"I, Victoria, by the grace of God, Queen of Great 
Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, do 
solemnly and sincerely, in the presence of God, testify 
and declare that I do believe that in the Sacrament 
of the Lord's Supper there is not any transubstantia- 
tion of the elements of bread and wine into the body 
and blood of Christ, at or after the consecration there- 
of by any person whatsoever; and that the invocation 
or adoration of Virgin Mary, or any other saint, and 
the sacrifice of the Mass, as they are now used in the 
Church of Rome, are superstitious and idolatrous. 
And I do solemnly, in the presence of God, profess, 
testify, and declare that I do make this declaration, 
and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary sense 
of the words read unto me, as they are commonly 
understood by EngHsh Protestants, without any 
evasion, equivocation or mental reservation whatso- 
ever, and without any dispensation already granted 
me for this purpose by the Pope, or any other 
authority or person whatsoever, and without thinking 
that I am or can be acquitted before God and man, 
or absolved of this declaration, or any part thereof, 
although the Pope or any other person or persons or 
power whatsoever shall dispense with or annul the 



AMONGST HER LOYAL PEOPLE. 83 

same, or declare that it was null and void from the 
beginning." 

The simple and impressive manner in which the 
Queen recited this solemn declaration was heartily 
appreciated, if not vociferously applauded by this 
august assembly. 

Before sunset on this November day, the "Queen's 
speech" was read in tens of thousands of homes in 
England, and who can wonder that such words as we 
have quoted, together with her pronounced, uncom- 
promising Protestantism, should deepen the loyalty 
of the English people. 



CHAfTER VIII. 



ENGLAND IN 1837. 

One of the most prominent Members of the House 
of Commons of this memorable time was Mr. Bulwer, 
already famous, and widely popular as a novelist. For 
many years he was the best-read author in England. 
If he had never given the world anything beside "The 
Last Days of Pompeii" he would have won for him- 
self a deathless name. But his works are numerous 
enough to constitute a little library. They stand 
alone, distinct in their literary characteristics, and are 
among the choicest gems of modern English. 

Writing books was much more in Bulwer Lytton's 
way than making speeches in Parliament. He sat in 
the House of Commons as member for Tivarton. 
He had little love for debate. He says of himself to a 
friend: "Being very well content to be silent, save 
when I have anything to say, I speak but seldom, as 
becomes a young Member, and at the early part of 
the evening, among the prosers, as becomes a modest 
one." It must not be thought for a moment that this 
"silent member" was not deeply interested in the 
affairs of the nation. Whenever he did address the 
House it was always after the most careful and minute 
preparation ; and his addresses were of such a char- 
acter as to command attention and respect. Four 
years prior to the accession of Queen Victoria, the 
member for Tivarton made a speech in which the 

84 



ENGLAND IN 1837. 85 

awful form of a possible Republic taking the place 
of a government by Kings, cast its giant shadow over 
his mind. He closed a very brilliant address with this 
doleful peroration : "I hate the poHcy that looks not 
beyond the nose of the occasion. I love to look far, 
and to speak boldly. I have no place to gain, no 
opinion to disguise — nothing stands between me and 
the truth. I put it to you all whether viewing the 
temper of the age, the discontent of the multitude, 
the example of foreign States * * * the prog- 
ress of an unthinking liberalism, the hatred against 
ostensible power — I put it to you all whether, unless 
some dexterous statesman arise, or unless some false 
notions are removed, some true principles explained, 
you do not perceive, slowly creeping over the troubled 
mirror of the time, the giant shadow of the coming 
Republic." The Queen was a girl of fourteen years 
of age, when these ominous words were uttered in 
all good faith. The "giant shadow" crept over the 
troubled mirror, as the years went on ; but States- 
men rose equal to the occasion ; and when the young 
Queen came to the throne, she won the hearts of 
her people, and that throne established in righteous- 
ness, became more deeply rooted in the loyal and 
enthusiastic love of the nation. And all in good 
time as we shall see the "giant shadow" vanished. 

One of Bulwer's weaknesses was an unreasonable 
hatred of party and party men, however incorrupt- 
ible the party might be, and however patriotic and 
loyal its members might be. And yet, some of his 
pictures of the absolute uselessness and helplessness 
of the "independent" Member of Parliament are too 
good to be forgotten. In "England and the English" 
he closes one of his bitter satirical descriptions thus : 



86 ENGLAND IN 1837. 

"There ! Mount those benches you are under the 
speaker's gallery. The debate is of importance — 
it is six o'clock — the debate has begun — it goes very 
smoothly for an hour or two, during which time most 
of the members are at dinner, and half the remaining 
members are asleep. Some inexperienced persons 
have got the ball of debate in their hands. They 
mumble, and paw, and toss it about, till near ten 
o'clock. Presently, hark! a low murmur of 'Ques- 
tion.' It creeps, it gathers, and now a cough ! Fatal 
sound ! A general attack phthisis seizes the House. 
Wheezing, sneezing, pufiling and grunting, till at last 
the ripening symphony swells into one mighty 
diapason of simultaneous groans ! Now and then, a 
solemn voice cries 'Order !' A momentary silence 
succeeds, and then, with a tumultuous reaction, rush 
once more from nook to nook the unutterable varie- 
ties of discord. But who is the intrepid and patient 
member, whom at short and dreary intervals, you hear 
threading with wearied voice the labyrinth of noise? 
My good friends, it is an independent member, he 
has no party to back him." 

Such was the member for Tivarton himself, and 
truth to tell, the picture is not overdrawn. Inde- 
pendent members have never had much power in the 
English Parliament. In one of the later Gladstone 
parliaments, an episode transpired that may be fitly 
recorded here. Mr. Gladstone was in power, but 
there was unrest in the ranks of the Liberals, and 
certain discontents of that party, Mr. Horsman, mem- 
ber for Stroud, among the rest, spoke of the estab- 
Hshment of an Independent party. In a speech, fierce 



ENGLAND IN 1837. 87 

and strong, Mr. Gladstone taunted Mr. Horsman 
with the unreliable character of independent parties, 
or independent men, and said : "I will repeat for the 
benefit of my friend, the Hon. Member for Stroud, 
a definition I once heard from Mr. Canning. 'An 
independent Member of Parliament,' said that distin- 
guished statesman, 'is a member on whom nobody 
or party can depend !' But, God forbid," added Mr. 
Gladstone, " that I should apply that definition to the 
Hon. Member for Stroud." 

This, memorable year, 1837, the first year of the 
Victorian Age, saw a deeper interest in works of Art 
than had ever been manifested before. The Exhi- 
bitions of the Royal Academy had been held for sixty- 
eight years, since its foundation in 1779, been held 
in rooms in Somerset House. The rooms were inade- 
quate in size, and could only be reached by chmbing 
interminable flights of stairs. This year the Exhi- 
bition was held in the National Picture Gallery in 
Trafalgar Square. Etty exhibited his "Ulysses and 
the Sirens," and his more marvelous conception of 
"Samson Betrayed by Delilah." Sir David Wilkie 
presented among other products of his genius, "Mary 
Qiieen of Scots Escaping From Loch Leven Castle." 
Turner was represented by his "Apollo and Daphne," 
his "Street in Venice," and "The Parting of Hero and 
Leander." Landseer's "Return from Hawking," his 
"Sport in the Highlands," and that most pathetic of 
all his paintings, "The Old Shepherd's Chief Mourn- 
er," attracted the admiration of thousands. Maclise 
exhibited his "Bohemian Gipsies ;" Leslie his "Per- 
dita," and an exceedingly interesting illustration of 
Sir Walter Scott, "Margaret Bellenden's Interview 



88 ENGLAND IN 1837. 

with the King." Eastlake presented his "Scene in 
the Greek War;" and Herbert his "Desdemona In- 
terceding for Cassio." Beside these great master- 
pieces, pictures were exhibited by Hart, Cooper, 
Mulready, Stanfield, Sydey, Constable, Creswick, 
Knight, Westmacott, Chanty, Gibson, and a host of 
others, many of whom have since become famous. 

But the artists of those days were in no danger of 
being spoiled by public favor. They were poorly 
understood and very poorly appreciated. They were 
for the most part poor, they were always proud, and 
generally shy and retiring. They were very jolly and 
merry among themselves. But the world was moving 
onward and upward, — and art and science and politics 
and literature, and all that makes for civilization at 
its best was rejoicing in the dawn of a better day. The 
art-students of the old Somerset House days took 
better cheer when they learned that the young Queen 
was deeply interested in art. A student of these times 
of artistic awakening, says, and he is writing of the 
state of things sixty years ago : 

"The great source of the silently-flowing whole- 
some change by which all classes and ranks have had 
their sentiments elevated, their feelings refined and 
softened — the sphere of their most innocent pleasures 
enlarged and their best tastes gratified — may be 
traced upward to the Throne, and that intelligent 
appreciation and practical love of art, which once 
induced Her Majesty to say, Tf she had not been a 
Queen, she might have succeeded in being an 
Artist.' " 

An episode transpired at the very beginning of the 
reign of Queen Victoria that will be of interest to all 



ENGLAND IN 1837. 89 

lovers of art. At the earliest available moment after 
the accession of Her Majesty, Sir Martin Shee, the 
President of the Royal Academy, addressed a letter 
to Lord John Russell, who was then Secretary of 
State for the Home Department, humbly and earnestly 
applying, in the name of the Royal Academy, for that 
privilege of personal access to Her Majesty, such as 
he and his brethren had enjoyed under former mon- 
archs since the formation of the Academy. Lord 
John Russell was not a little astonished at the bold- 
ness of this request, and gravely demurred. There 
was in future to be no Private Secretary, and no 
access to the maiden Queen save through her Min- 
isters. And, therefore, Lord John suggested that the 
application be withdrawn. But Sir Martin Shee was 
not in a withdrawing mood, and so far as possible 
he was resolved that the Queen herself should decide 
this matter between the Academy and the Govern- 
ment. Sir Martin won his point. "The following day," 
he says, "I had an official communication from Lord 
John stating that the Queen had been graciously 
pleased to continue to the Academy the same facilities 
of approach as usual." In a subsequent letter to a 
personal friend, this vigorous champion of Art says : 
"The new reign has begun prosperously; the 
Queen has delighted everyone by her dignity, grace 
and good sense. I had the honor of kissing Her 
Majesty's hand at her first levee, the most crowded 
I ever witnessed, on presenting an Address from the 
Royal Academy. The Arts had an accession of dignity 
on the occasion. * * * On Tuesday last I had 
the honor of conducting Her Majesty through the 
Exhibition. She was accompanied by the Duchess of 



90 ENGLAND IN 1837. 

Kent, and I confess I was gratified and surprised to 
see how completely she appeared the same unaffected 
little girl as when you saw her at the private view — 
easy, gracious and graceful — without any studied 
assumption of majesty, or put-on air of importance. 
She has taken the Academy under her protection." 

And it was well the Queen did take the Academy 
under her protection. There was a spirit abroad in 
the land that was ready for the denunciation of every- 
thing that bore the hall-mark of royalty upon it. Mr. 
Joseph Hume, Member of Parliament, denied the 
right of the Academy to be sheltered in a building 
that belonged to the nation. This and other objec- 
tions called forth a vigorous letter from Sir Martin 
Shee to Lord John Russell, exposing the weakness 
of Mr. Hume's objections. In closing. Sir Martin 
said: "Conversant as Her Majesty is with all these 
pursuits which form the objects of the Royal 
Academy's care, the Queen will know how to appre- 
ciate their true value, and how patriotism will combine 
with her taste in securing for her country all those 
advantages which a liberal and judicious patronage 
cannot fail to derive from the grateful genius of the 
age." 

These were not matters of popular interest at that 
time, but they were matters of vital importance to 
the growth and culture of the age. The Queen of 
England was not simply a Royal Patron of Art,« — she 
had been a lover of art for its own sake from her 
earliest years. 

Before passing on to the more serious events of 
coming years, the forecasting shadows of which are 
already on our path, it will be interesting to take a 



ENGLAND IN 1837. 91 

very brief glance at the literary condition of it in 
this year, 1837, the initiatory year of the Victorian 
Age. 

It was a busy year with publishers. Eighteen hun- 
dred volumes were published this year, exclusive of 
pamphlets, periodicals, new editions, and what may 
be called the ephemeral in literature. This was an 
increase of one hundred and thirty upon the book 
production of 1836. 

Tom Hood was playing his fantastic tricks with 
words, albeit with the examples of Sir Walter Scott 
and Bulwer Lytton before him, he admitted he was 
but "a drone amongst bees, — a Christmas bellman to 
the thick coming gatherer of taxes." 

Charles Dickens was hard at work editing "Bentley's 
Miscellany," a magazine which was launched this 
year, and in whose pages he introduced "Oliver 
Twist," with illustrations by the immortal Cruikshank. 
"The Pickwick Papers" he had recently finished, and 
was under contract to Chapman and Hall to "write a 
work, the title whereof should be determined by him, 
of a similar character and of the same extent as 
Pickwick/' which work was soon after announced as 
"Nicholas Nickleby." 

Harriet Martineau was writing on almost any topic 
the hungry pubHshers suggested to her — history, 
biography, essay, sketch, — anything, everything. She 
had just published "Society in America." She had 
run out of compliments before she finished her pref- 
ace, and her ink-horn was filled with an admixture 
of ink and gall, — especially gall. 

George Prince Regent James, an author almost 
forgotten in these days, wrote "Attila," and his "His- 



92 ENGLAND IN 1837. 

tory of Louis XIV." Lockhart issued his "Life of 
Sir Walter Scott;" Bulwer published his historic 
work, "Athens, — Its Rise and Fall;" and the first 
but least popular of his famous plays, "The Duchess 
de la Valiere." 

Thomas Carlyle was putting the last touches to his 
imperishable "History of the French Revolution," 
beside contributing grim, stern, awful articles for 
magazines and newspapers, living the while in a 
quaint old house in Chelsea, with Maclise for his next- 
door neighbor. 

Charles Knight was doing a grand work for the 
poor people of England, who could not afford to 
buy books or magazines or even newspapers. The 
enormous, and, one might say, iniquitous Paper Tax 
was rendering cheap literature a thing impossible. 
But Charles Knight, under the superintendence of a 
Society for the Dififusion of Useful Knowledge, and 
favored with the patronage of Lord Brougham, had 
started his famous "Penny Magazine," and though it 
had to meet a good deal of undeserved as well as just 
criticism, it was one of the most useful publications 
of the time. The Penny Magazine became a welcome 
guest in the homes of tens of thousands of the toilers 
of England. It was to many of them almost the only 
means of education they had. A thoughtful book from 
the pen of an artisan tells how its author gained his 
first thirst for knowledge from its pages. He denied 
himself the luxury of sugar in his tea in order that 
he might purchase Knight's Magazine without mak- 
ing his family suffer; and in later years he says, 
looking back to the memories of 1837: "Since that 
period, I have expended large sums in books, some 



ENGLAND IN 1837. 93 

of them very costly ones, but I never had one so truly 
valuable as was the Penny Magazine, and I look as 
anxiously for the issue of the monthly part as I did for 
the means of getting a living." No man did more in 
England in the early years of Her Majesty's reign for 
the literary well-being of the poor — and the poverty 
of these days touched the poor man's books as well 
as his bread — than Charles Knight, whose "Penny 
Magazine," "Penny Encyclopaedia," "Pictorial His- 
tory of England," and "The Pictorial Bible," were 
gems of priceless value to the poor. 

In this year Theodore Hook, Father Prout, Mrs. 
Trollope, Douglas Jerrold, Samuel Lover, and Miss 
Letitia Landon were contributing to the pages of 
Bentley's Miscellany. Ebenezer Elliot was crooning 
his "Corn Law Rhymes ;" Parson Barham was setting 
the world wild with laughter over "Ingoldsby's Le- 
gends ;" Captain Marryat's sea novels were filHng the 
boys of England full of an ambition for 

"A life on the ocean wave, 
A home on the rolling deep;" 

Disraeli had just finished "Venetia;" and Noon Tal- 
fourd "The Letters of Charles Lamb." Of the po£ts, 
we need not speak. They were filling every woodland 
glade with music, every hillside echoed with their 
songs. Tennyson was at college at Cambridge, tun- 
ing his deathless harp. Robert Browning and Eliza- 
beth Barrett were nursing their great souls for the 
work of coming years. 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE CORONATION. 

Among the first visitors the Queen had the joy of 
welcoming to her royal home at Windsor Castle were 
her Uncle Leopold, King of the Belgians, and his 
Consort Louise, daughter of Louis Philippe. How 
gladly she hailed the coming of that kindly uncle, 
whose name was linked with every tender thought 
and memory of her childhood. 

When the Queen got fairly settled at Windsor 
Castle, it soon became manifest to all the Court that 
its new mistress had not come to be a drone in the 
royal hive, spending her days in stately luxury and 
ease. Of all the busy bees of Windsor none were 
busier than its Queen. She was her own housekeeper 
as far as circumstances would permit and proved 
herself efificient, careful and economical. She arranged 
dinner parties, dances, picnics on Virginia Water ; she 
made up riding and driving parties, and arranged 
evening concerts at the Castle ; and though her early 
years had been spent in such quietude she proved 
herself to be the most delightful and genial of enter- 
tainers. 

The Queen had a passion for riding, which soon 
became quite the fashion throughout the country. 
She was often in the saddle two or three hours in 
the day, attended by quite a gay cavalcade of ladies 
and gentlemen. She was usually attired in a green 

94 



THE CORONATION. 96 

cloth riding habit and a black beaver hat, but when 
she reviewed her troops she donned a more distinctly 
military garb. 

The first Christmas at Windsor was kept in royal 
style. The nation had dealt bountifully with her. 
Government in the New Civil List Act had fixed the 
income of the Queen at £385,000 per annum, a sum 
approaching two millions of dollars ! This was a 
great sum. But England did not vote it grudgingly. 
If it was worth while to have a Queen, it was worth 
while to keep her in Queenly affluence. Moreover 
there was no fear, that with the training she had 
received she would be at all likely to waste and 
squander. What she wished now to do, she could 
do with a liberal hand. 

The Queen's life at Windsor was regulated with 
due regard to her royal duties. She never intended 
to be a Queen for pageants and parades merely. First 
of all, above all, and all the time, through all the 
years of her long reign, Queen Victoria has counted 
the supreme business of her life the duty she owed 
to her loyal, loving people. 

But the great event of this year, 1838, now claims 
our attention. The Coronation of Queen Victoria — 
the grandest pageant of the century — took place on 
what was called "the day of days," the 28th of June. 
Never was a sunnier June, never was a brighter day, 
it was indeed "Queen's weather." 

The preparations made for the Coronation stirred 
the hearts and filled the hands of millions of the 
English people. The city of London was choked, 
north, south, east and west by tens of thousands, 
from all parts of the country, and from the continent 



96 THE CORONATION. 

of Europe, eager to gaze on the matchless spectacle. 
It was estimated that not less than a million people 
came up from the provinces in addition to the dis- 
tinguished representatives from every Court in 
Europe, with their numerous retinues in gorgeous 
attire. All night, the night before the Coronation, 
was as busy as the day. 

The authoress of "Queen Victoria: from Her 
Birth to Her Bridal," who was an eye-witness of 
these scenes, says : 

"The vigil of the maiden 'Coronation' was fraught 
with all the restless excitement which is so often 
connected with the anticipation of some spirit-stirring 
event. The fever of rapturous expectation pervaded 
all classes, down to the bare-footed children of abject 
penury, who appeared that evening absolutely wild 
with delight. It appeared as if the murky confines of 
their squalid alleys and courts were too narrow for 
the indulgence of their unwonted ecstacy ; for, as the 
twilight closed in they swarmed into the open streets 
and squares to vent their tumultuous joy by laughing, 
shouting, dancing, and singing 'God Save the Queen.' 
This popular effervescence lasted till the gray streaks 
in the Eastern horizon heralded the morning." 

At dawn of day on the 28th, the sleeping city was 
roused by a salvo of twenty-one guns from the Tower, 
and by six o'clock streams of people, all gaily attired, 
were filling the streets, and strings of carriages poured 
in, as if all England meant to be in town that day. 
Just before ten o'clock the park guns announced that 
the Queen had entered her carriage, a Royal Standard 
instantly floating over the, now removed. Marble 
Arch, while the air was rent by the shouts of a mighty 



THE CORONATION. 97 

crowd; the voice of a great people full of prophetic 
joy. 

From Hyde Park Corner to the Abbey there was 
scarcely a house without a scafifolding, soon to be 
filled with sightseers. Seats were sold at a very 
high rate, while tickets for the inside of the Abbey 
were bought on the eve of the ceremony at more than 
$ioo each. At ten o'clock the imperial standard was 
hoisted in front of the palace, intimating that her 
Majesty had entered the State carriage. 

Her Majesty appeared in excellent spirits, and 
highly delighted with the imposing scene. The 
troops saluted in succession as she passed, and re- 
mained with presented asms until the royal carriage 
had passed the front of each battalion, the bands 
continuing to play the National Anthem. 

The procession then moved on. It was thus ar- 
ranged: Trumpeters; the Life Guards-; the resident 
Ambassadors ; Ambassadors Extraordinary from 
France, Portugal, Sweden, Scandinavia, Hanover, 
Prussia, Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, Russia, Bel- 
gium, and Naples, their precedence regulated by the 
early or late date of their'arrival. They had all superb 
new carriages and splendid uniforms. That of France 
had belonged to the last great Prince de Cgnde, and 
had been redecorated for this occasion. Inside it was 
seated a white-haired soldier, who had been one of the 
worthiest foes of England's great Duke — Marshal 
Soult. When the generous people recognized him 
they greeted him with cordial cheers. After the Am- 
bassadors Extraordinary came the mounted band of 
the Life Guards; the Duchess of Kent, the Duke of 
Cambridge, the Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of 

I 



98 THE CORONATION. 

Sussex ; another mounted military band ; the Queen's 
Barge-master ; the Queen's forty-eight Watermen ; 
twelve of Her Majesty's carriages, each drawn by six 
horses, and having a groom walking on each side ; 
Life Guards and Mounted Band; Military Staff and 
Aides-de-Camp on horseback, three-and-three, at- 
tended by one groom each on either side ; Royal Ar- 
tillery; Royal Huntsmen; six of Her Majesty's 
horses, with rich trappings, each horse led by two 
grooms ; the Knight Marshal of England (Sir Charles 
Lamb) on horseback ; Marshalmen in ranks of four ; 
one hundred Yeomen of the Guard, four-and-four ; 
the State Coach, drawn by eight cream-colored horses, 
attended by a yeoman of the guard at each wheel and 
two footmen at each door; the Goldstick and the 
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard, riding one on 
each side, attended by two grooms each ; it conveyed 
the Queen, who had m attendance on her the Duchess 
of Sutherland, her beautiful Mistress of the Robes ; 
the Earl of Albemarle, Master of the Horse ; the 
Duke of Buccleuch, Captain-General of the Royal 
Archers, attended by two grooms. The procession 
closed with a squadron of the Life Guards. 

It is worth mentioning, however, that one of the 
most conspicuous figures was that of Marshal Soult, 
Duke of Dalmatia, the opponent of Moore and Well- 
ington in the Peninsula, the commander of the Old 
Guard at Liitzen, and one of the strong arms of 
Napoleon at Waterloo. Soult had been sent as Am- 
bassador-Extraordinary to represent the French Gov- 
ernment and people at the coronation of Queen Vic- 
toria, and nothing could exceed the enthusiasm with 
which he was received, by the crowds in the streets of 



THE CORONATION. 99 

London, on that day. The white-haired soldier was 
cheered wherever a ghmpse of his face or figure could 
be caught. He appeared in the procession in a car- 
riage, the frame of which had been used on occasions 
of state, by some of the Princes of the House of 
Conde, and which Soult had had splendidly decorated, 
for the ceremony of the coronation. Even the Aus- 
trian Ambassador, says an eyewitness, attracted less 
attention than Soult, although the dress of the Aus- 
trian, Prince Esterhazy, "down to his very boot heels 
sparkled with diamonds." The comparison savors 
now of the ridiculous, but is remarkably expressive 
and efifective. Prince Esterhazy's name in those days 
suggested nothing but diamonds. 

At the Abbey door the Queen was received by the 
great Ministers of State, the noblemen bearing the 
regalia and the Bishops carrying the patina, the 
chalice, and the Bible. The interior of the Abbey 
meantime was a scene of surpassing splendor. Gal- 
leries had been'erected for the Members of the House 
of Commons^ the Ambassadors, Corporation, Knights 
of the Bath, etc., etc. The floor of the transepts was 
covered with benches for the Peers and Peeresses ; 
the space behind was for spectators who were ticket- 
holders. Below the galleries were ranged lines of 
Foot Guards. 

The Queen's platform was under the central tower. 
It was covered with cloth of gold, and on it was the 
throne or chair of homage, facing the altar. Within 
the altar-rails was St. Edward's Chair, enclosed within 
which is the Stone of Destiny, brought by Edward I. 
from Scone, on which all English sovereigns have 
been crowned since his time.- It is said to be the stone 

LofC. 



100 THE CORONATION. 

on which Jacob pillowed his head, and bears a singu- 
lar and prophetic runic inscription, which translates 
somewhat thus : 

Where'er this sacred stone be found 
There shall the Wondrous race be crowned. 

Jacob's descendants are said to have borne the 
stone to Ireland, and from thence to Scotland. The 
Stone of Destiny was borne to England by Scotland's 
most relentless foe, Edward I., but it has been fol- 
lowed thither by its own race of kings ; thus there is 
something a little astonishing in the inscription and 
its fulfilment, for it was a fair daughter of the race of 
Fergus who was to be crowned on it this Coronation 
Day. 

A little after twelve the procession entered the 
choir. The Abbey officials, Prebendaries, Dean, and 
Officers-at-Arms, the Controller, Treasurer, Vice- 
Chamberlain, and Lord Steward of Her Majesty's 
Household came first ; the Lord Privy Seal, the Lord 
President, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland next; the 
Peers followed, their coronets being carried by pages. 
The Treasurer bore the crimson bag with the medals ; 
the Vice-Chancellor had with him an officer from the 
Jewel Office, bearing on a cushion the ruby ring, and 
the sword for an offering. Then came the Arch- 
bishops of Canterbury, York, and Armagh, in their 
robes, with the Lord Chancellor ; then, the Princesses 
of the blood royal; the Duchesses of Cambridge, 
Kent, and Gloucester, in robes of purple velvet, with 
circlets of gold on their heads, their trains held by the 
daughters of peers. 

The Regalia came next. The Duke of Roxburgh 
bore St. Edward's staff ; Lord Byron the gold spurs ; 



THE CORONATION. 101 

the Duke of Cleveland the sceptre with the cross; the 
third sword was borne by the Marquis of Westmin- 
ster ; Curtana was borne by the Duke of Devonshire ; 
the second sword was borne by the Duke of Suther- 
land ; each nobleman's coronet being carried by a page, 
The sceptre with the dove was borne by the Duke of 
Richmond, with his page and coronet. St. Edward's 
Crown was borne by the Duke of Hamilton, Lord 
High Steward, attended by two pages. The orb was 
borne by the Duke of Somerset, with page and coro- 
net ; the patina by the Bishop of Bangor ; the Bible 
by the Bishop of Winchester; the chaHce by the 
Bishop of London. 

Then came the Queen between the Bishops of Dur- 
ham, and Bath and Wells, with gentlemen-at-arms on 
each side. She was dressed in a robe of crimson vel- 
vet, furred with ermine and bordered with gold lace, 
and she wore the splendid collars of St. George, of 
the Bath, and the Thistle ; a golden circlet was on her 
head. Her train was borne by eight young beauties. 
Lady Adelaide Paget, Lady Fanny Cowper, Lady 
Anne Wentworth Fitzwilliam, Lady Mary Grimstone, 
Lady Caroline Gordon-Lennox, Lady Mary Talbot, 
Lady Catherine Stanhope, Lady Louisa Jenkinson. 

Then came the ladies of the household, led by the 
beautiful Duchess of Sutherland ; the Maids of Honor, 
the Gold-sticks, Captains of the Royal Archers, etc., 
etc. Anything more splendid than the scene cannot 
be conceived. 

As the Queen advanced to the centre of the choir 
every one rose, and the anthem "I was glad" was 
pealed forth by the choristers. Then the young voices 
of the Westminster boys rose as they chanted "Vivat 



102 THE CORONATION. 

Victoria Regina." Midway between the throne and 
the altar a chair had been placed for the Sovereign. 
She knelt down by it on a faldstool, and for a few 
minutes was absorbed in silent prayer. The exquisite 
description Shakespeare has given of the coronation 
of a less happy queen was forcibly recalled then to the 
minds of many : 

"The rich stream 
Of lords and ladies having brought the Queen 
To a prepared place in the choir, fell off 
A distance from her, while her Grace sat down 
To rest awhile. . . 

In a rich Chair of State opposing freely 
The beauty of her person to the people." 

The "Recognition" commenced the ceremony. The 
Archbishop, accompanied by the Lord Chancellor, the 
Lord Chamberlain, and the Earl Marshal of England, 
advanced to the Queen and presented Her Majesty 
first to the people on the east, saying, "Sirs, I here 
present you Queen Victoria, the undoubted Queen of 
this realm, wherefore all you who are come this day 
to do your homage, are you willing to do the same ?" 
The answer came in a solemn cry, "God save the 
Queen !" The Archbishop and the Sovereign in like 
manner turned to the north, south, and west, the 
Primate repeating each time the same formula, and 
answered always by the came cry, "God save the 
Queen !" 

The Bishops then placed the Bible, patina, and 
chalice which they carried on the altar, and the Arch- 
bishops and Bishops who read the Litany put on their 
copes. Then the Queen, attended by the Bishops of 
Durham, and Bath and Wells, and the Dean of West- 
minster, 



THE CORONATION. 103 

"With modest grace 
Came to the altar, where she kneeled and, saintlike, 
Cast her fair eyes to heaven and prayed devoutly," 

making then her first offering, a pall or altar-cloth of 
gold, which was delivered by an officer of the Ward- 
robe to the Lord Chamberlain, and by him to the 
Queen, who presented it to the Archbishop. It was 
laid by him on the altar. With the same ceremony 
an ingot of gold of one pound weight was offered by 
Her Majesty, and placed by the Archbishop in the 
oblation basin. 

The bearers of the Regalia, except those who car- 
ried the swords, then proceeded in order to the altar, 
where they delivered St. Edward's Crown, the sceptre, 
dove, orb, spurs, and all the other insignia of royalty 
to the Archbishop, who delivered them to the Dean 
of Westminster, by whom they were placed on the 
altar. 

The religious ceremony now began with the reading 
of the Litany by th^ Bishops of Worcester and St. 
David's. Then followed the Communion Service read 
by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishops of 
Rochester and Carlisle. ! 

The Bishop of London preached the Sermon from 
the following text: IL Chronicles, xxxiv;3i: 

"And the King stood in his place and made a cove- 
nant before the Lord to walk after the Lord, and to 
keep His commandments and His testimonies and 
statutes and with all his heart and all his soul to per- 
form the words of the covenant which are written in 
this book." 

Her Majesty paid profound attention to the words 
of the sermon, in the course of which the Bishop 



104 THE CORONATION. 

praised the late King for his unfeigned religion, and 
exhorted his youthful successor to follow in his foot- 
steps. The earnest manner in which she listened, and 
the motion with which, at the mention of her dead 
uncle, she bowed her head on her hand to conceal a 
falling tear, were highly touching. 

On the conclusion of the service, the Archbishop 
advanced towards the Queen, addressing her thus : 

"Madam, is your Majesty willing to take the oath?" 

The Queen replied, *T am willing." 

"Will you solemnly promise and swear," continued 
the Archbishop, "to govern the people of this United 
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the do- 
minions thereto belonging, according to the statutes in 
Parliament agreed on, and the respective laws and 
customs of the same?" 

In an audible voice the Queen answered, "I sol- 
emnly promise so to do." 

"Will you, to the extent of your power, cause law 
and justice, in mercy, to be executed in all your judg- 
ments ?" 

"I will." 

Then said the Archbishop : "Will you, to the ut- 
most of your power, maintain the laws of God, the 
true profession of the Gospel, and the Protestant re- 
formed religion established by law? And will you 
maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the 
united Church of England and Ireland, and the doc: 
trine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as 
by law established within England and Ireland, and 
the territories thereunto belonging? And will you 
preserve unto the bishops and clergy of England and 
Ireland, and to the churches there committed to their 



THE CORONATION. 105 

charge, all such rights and privileges as by law do or 
shall appertain to them or any of them?" 

Clearly and firmly the Queen replied, "All this I 
promise to do." 

Her Majesty, with the Lord Chamberlain and other 
officers, the sword of State being carried before her, 
then went to the altar and took the coronation oath. 
Laying her right hand upon the Gospels in the Bible 
carried in the procession, and now brought to her by 
the Archbishop, she said, kneeling : 

"The things which I have here before promised I 
will perform and keep. So help me God !" 

Then the Queen kissed the book, and to a trans- 
cript of the oath set her royal sign manual. After 
signing. Her Majesty knelt upon her faldstool while 
the choir sang "Veni, Creator, Spiritus." 

The next part of the ceremony, the anointing, was 
extremely interesting. The Queen sat in King Ed- 
ward's chair; fowr Knights of the Garter — the Dukes 
of Buccleuch and Rutland, and the Marquises of 
Anglesey and Exeter — held a rich cloth of gold over 
her head ; the Dean of Westminster took the ampulla 
from the altar, and poured some of the oil it contained 
into the gold anointing-spoon ; then the Archbishop 
anointed the head and hands of the Queen, marking 
them in the form of a cross, and pronouncing these 
words : 

"Be thou anointed with holy oil, as kings, priests, 
and prophets were anointed. And as Solomon was 
anointed king by Zadok the priest and Nathan the 
prophet, so be you anointed, blessed, and consecrated 
Queen over this people, whom the Lord thy God hath 
given thee to rule and govern ; in the name of the 
Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen," 



106 THE CORONATION. 

The Archbishop then said the blessing over her. 
The spurs were presented by the Lord Chamberlain, 
and the sword of State by Viscount Melbourne, who, 
however, according to custom, redeemed it with a 
hundred shillings, and carried it during the rest of the 
ceremony. The investing with the royal robes fol- 
lowed ; then delivery of the orb, and the investiture by 
the ring and sceptre. The Coronation was now to 
be performed. The Archbishop ofifered up a prayer 
for Her Majesty. The Dean of Westminster took the 
crown from the altar : it was a small one made on pur- 
pose for that royal, girlish head. The Archbishop, 
supported by the Archbishops of York and Armagh 
and the Bishops, proceeded towards the Queen, 
throned on the Stone of Destiny, and the Archbishop 
reverently placed the crown on Her Majesty's head. 
Then the peers and peeresses also put on their coro- 
nets. The trumpets sounded ; the drums beat ; the 
Tower and Park guns fired ; and from all that brilliant 
throng went up an enthusiastic cry of "God save the 
Queen!" The Bible was then presented to the Queen, 
who returned it to the Archbishop, and by the Dean 
it was laid again on the altar. While the Te Deum 
was sung the Queen went between the Bishops to her 
first seat; at that moment a bright ray of sunshine 
fell on the fair crowned head, and made an aureole 
round the calm face. She was then enthroned, or 
lifted on the throne or chair of homage on the plat- 
form, by the Archbishops and Bishops. 

The first to render homage was the Archbishop of 
Canterbury, who knelt and did homage for the Lords 
Spiritual, who all then kissed the Queen's hand. The 



THE CORONATION. 107 

Dukes of Sussex and Cambridge, removing their cor- 
onets, did homage thus: "I do become your liege 
man of life and limb and of earthly worship ; and faith 
and truth I will bear unto you to live or die, against 
all manner of folks, so help me God." 

The Archbishop, in delivering the sceptre with the 
cross into the Queen's right hand said : "Receive the 
royal sceptre, the ensign of kingly power and justice." 
Next he delivered the rod with the dove into the 
Queen's left hand, this being "the rod of equity and 
mercy." The Archbishop then took the crown into 
his hands, and laying it upon the altar, offered up a 
prayer. Turning from the altar with the other 
Bishops, he now received the crown from the Dean 
of Westminster, and placed it on Her Majesty's head; 
whereupon the people with loud and repeated shouts 
cried, "God save the Queen !" At the moment the 
crown was placed on the head of the Sovereign, the 
act was made known by signal to the semaphore at the 
Admiralty, from whence it was transmitted to the out- 
ports and other places. A double royal salute of 
forty-one guns was fired, and the Tower, Windsor, 
Woolwich, and other guns gave a similar greeting to 
the crowned Monarch of the British realms. 

On the assumption of the crown, the peers and 
peeresses put on their coronets, the bishops their caps 
and the kings-of-arms their crowns; while the 
trumpets sounded, the drums beat, and the Tower and 
park guns fired their volleys. Then the full burst of 
the orchestra broke forth, and the scene was one of 
such grandeur as to defy description. The Queen v^^as 
visibly agitated during the long-reiterated acclama- 
tions. 



108 THE CORONATION. 

After an anthem had been sung, the Archbishop 
presented the Bible to the Queen, who gave it to the 
Dean of Westminster to be placed on the altar. The 
benediction was then delivered by the Archbishop, all 
the Bishops, with the rest of the peers, responding to 
every part of the blessing with a loud and hearty 
"Amen !" The choir then began to sing the Te Deum, 
and the Queen proceeded to the chair which she first 
occupied, supported by two Bishops. She was then 
"enthroned," or "lifted," as the formulary states, into 
the chair of homage, by the Archbishops, Bishops and 
Peers surrounding her. Then began the ceremony of 
homage. The Archbishop of Canterbury knelt and 
did homage for himself and other lords spiritual, who 
all kissed the Queen's hand. The royal dukes, with 
the temporal peers, followed according to their prece- 
dence, class by class. Ascending the steps leading to 
the throne, and taking ofif their coronets, they re- 
peated the oath of homage in the following quaint and 
homely Saxon form : 

"I do become your liegeman of life and limb, and 
of earthly worship ; and faith and truth I will bear 
unto you, to live and die, against all manner of folks. 
So help me God !" 

Each peer then in turn touched the cross on Her 
Majesty's crown, in token of his readiness to support 
it against all adversaries. He then kissed the Sov- 
ereign's hand and retired. 

A pretty and touching scene took place when the 
royal dukes, who alone kissed Her Majesty's cheek, 
came forward to do homage. The Duke of Sussex, 
who was suffering from indisposition, was feebly and 
with great difficulty ascending the steps of the throne, 



THE CORONATION. 109 

when the Queen, yielding to the impulse of natural 
affection, flung her fair arms about his neck and ten- 
derly embraced him. 

While the lords were doing homage, the Earl of 
Surrey, Treasurer of the Household, threw coronation 
medals in silver about the choir and lower galleries, 
which were scrambled for with great eagerness. 

At the conclusion of the homage the choir sang the 
anthem, "This is the day which the Lord hath made." 
The Queen received the two sceptres from the Dukes 
of Norfolk and Richmond; the drums beat, the 
trumpets sounded, and the Abbey rang with exultant 
shouts of "God save Queen Victoria! Long live 
Queen Victoria ! May the Queen live forever !" 

The solemn ceremony of the coronation being now 
ended, the Archbishop of Canterbury went to the 
altar. The Queen followed him, and having divested 
herself of the symbols of sovereignty, she knelt down 
before the altar. The Gospel and Epistle of the Com- 
munion Service having been read by two bishops, Her 
Majesty made her offering of bread and wine for the 
communion, in the paten and chalice. A second obla- 
tion was a purse of gold, which was placed on the altar. 
The Queen received the sacrament kneeling on the 
faldstool by the chair. Afterwards she put on her 
crown, and with her sceptres in her hands, took her 
seat again upon the throne. The Archbishop then 
proceeded with the Communion Service, and pro- 
nounced the final blessing. The choir sang the noble 
anthem, "Hallelujah! for the Lord God omnipotent 
reigneth." 

The Queen then left the throne, and attended by 
two bishops and noblemen bearing the regalia and 



no THE CORONATION. 

swords of State, passed into King Edward's Chapel, 
the organ playing. The Queen deHvered the sceptre 
with the dove to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who 
laid it on the altar. She was then disrobed of her im- 
perial robe of State, and arrayed in her royal robe of 
purple velvet by the Lord Chamberlain. The Arch- 
bishop placed the orb in her left hand. The golden 
spurs and St. Edward's stafif were delivered by the 
noblemen who bore them to the Dean of Westmin- 
ster, who placed them on the altar. The Queen then 
went to the west door of the Abbey wearing her 
crown, the sceptre with the cross being in her right, 
and the orb in her left hand. The swords and regalia 
were delivered to gentlemen who attended to receive 
them from the Jewel Office. It was nearly four o'clock 
when the royal procession passed through the nave 
at the conclusion of the ceremony. As the Queen 
emerged from the western entrance of the Abbey, 
there came from the thousands and tens of thousands 
of her subjects assembled in the vicinity, thunders of 
acclamation and applause. Similar greetings awaited 
her on the whole of the homeward route ; and the 
scene was even more impressive than in the morning, 
as Her Majesty now wore her crown, and the peers 
and peeresses their robes and their jeweled coronets. 

Personal reminiscences of that memorable day are 
plentiful and interesting. In the "Monthly Packet," 
a delightful English periodical of that time conducted 
by Miss Charlotte Yonge, an account is given by an 
elderly lady of her impressions of the Grand Corona- 
tion. She says : 

"When' the Queen rose from her knees on first en- 
tering the Abbey in her robes of State, the Archbishop 



THE CORONATION. Ill 

turned her round to each of the four sides of the Ab- 
bey, saying in a voice so clear it was heard in the ut- 
most recesses — 'Sirs, I here present unto you the un- 
doubted Queen of this reahn. Will ye all swear to 
do her homage?' And each time as he said it there 
were shouts of 'Long live Queen Victoria !' and the 
sounding of trumpets and the waving of flags, which 
made the poor little Queen turn first very red, and 
then so pale she seemed as if she longed to creep un- 
der the Archbishop's wing. Most of the ladies cried. 
It did not affect me in that way, but it gave me what I 
may call a new sensation, and I felt I should not for- 
get it as long as I lived. The Queen recovered her- 
self after this and went through all the ceremony as if 
she had often been crowned before ; but seemed very 
much impressed, too, with the service, — and a most 
beautiful one it is. The coronation struck me as being 
less of a show, and so much more of a religious cere- 
mony than 1 expected. The Archbishop seemed to 
take a more prominent part than the Queen herself. 
Certainly there was something very beautiful in the 
way he blessed her, both before and after he had 
crowned her; all the others joining with a loud 
'Amen !' And she looked more like a child receiving 
her father's blessing than anything else, for no one 
would have taken her to be as much as nineteen years 
old. It was a pleasure to think it was a really good 
man who was giving her that benediction ; indeed, no 
one who was not could have read the service so touch- 
ingly as he did. She once asked him leave to sit down, 
and she did it so prettily ; so she did when, putting off 
her crown, she received the sacrament. The music 
was beautiful. When the Queen came in the choir 



112 THE CORONATION. 

sang *I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go 
into the House of the Lord.' While she was being 
crowned they sang 'Zadok the Priest, and Nathan the 
Prophet, anointed Solomon King.' And then, when 
it was over, 'The King shall rejoice !' and the Hallelu- 
jah Chorus. 

"The prettiest part of the sight was the Queen's 
eight train-bearers, — the eight handsomest girls they 
could find, I believe, among the daughters of Dukes, 
Marquises and Earls. They were dressed alike in 
silver muslin gowns, with roses on their heads. They 
held up Her Majesty's purple velvet train, and once 
or twice they pulled her back by it, for which the 
Duchesses of Northumberland and Sunderland 
scolded them. When the service was over the hom- 
age began. The Archbishop, in the Rubric, is ordered 
to 'lift' the Queen on the throne. He did not do that, 
but gave her his arm, and walked her up the steps of 
the throne, and seated her on it. Then, as if he had 
made her Queen, he left her, and came to do her 
homage." 

Harriet Martineau was present at the Coronation, 
and tells her unvarnished tale : 

"The sight of the rapid filling of the Abbey," she 
says, "was enough to go for; the stone architecture 
contrasted finely with the gay colors of the multitude. 
Except a mere sprinkling of oddities, every one was 
in full dress. The scarlet of the military officers mixed 
in so well, and the groups of the clergy were dignified, 
but to an unaccustomed eye the prevalence of court 
dress had a curious effect. The Earl Marshal's as- 
sistants, called Gold Sticks, looked well from above, 
lightly flitting about in white breeches, silk stockings, 




PRINCE ALBERT. 




DUKE OF KENT. 



THE CORONATION. 113 

blue laced frock coats, and white sashes. The throne 
was an arm-chair with a round back, and beneath its 
seat was a ledge, on which lay the Stone of Scone. It 
was covered, as was its footstool, with cloth of gold, 
and it stood on an elevation of five steps in the centre 
of the area. The first Peeress took her seat in the 
North Transept at a quarter before seven, and three 
of the Bishops came next. From that time the Peers 
and their ladies arrived faster and faster. * * * i 
never anywhere saw so remarkable a contrast between 
youth and age as in these noble ladies, all with their 
necks and arms bare, and glittering with diamonds. 

"The younger were as lovely as the aged were hag- 
gard. One beautiful creature, with a transcendent 
form and complexion, and coils upon coils of fair hair, 
was terribly embarrassed about her coronet. She had, 
apparently, forgotten that her hair must be disposed 
with a view to it, and the large bands at the back 
would in no wise permit the coronet to keep on. She 
and her daughter tugged vehemently at the braids, 
and at the last the thing was done after a fashion. 
* * * When the Queen put on her Crown, the 
Peers and Peeresses put on their coronets. I had 
never before seen the full effect of diamonds. As the 
light traveled each Peeress shone like a rainbow. The 
brightness, the vastness, and dreamy significance of 
the scene produced a strange effect of exhaustion and 
sleepiness. * * * 

"The guns told when the Queen had set forth, and 
there was renewed animation. The Gold Sticks flitted 
about ; there was tuning in the orchestra ; and the 
foreign Ambassadors and their suites arrived in quick 
succession. Prince Esterhazy, crossing a bar of sun- 
8 



114 THE CORONATION. 

shine, was the most prodigious rainbow of all. He 
was covered with diamonds and pearls, and, as he 
dangled his hat, it cast a dancing radiance all around. 
* * * At half-past twelve the guns told us the 
Queen had arrived, but as there was much to be done 
in the robing-room there was a long pause before she 
appeared. A burst from the orchestra marked her 
appearance at the doors, and the anthem, 'I was glad 
when they said,' rang through the Abbey. Everybody 
rose, and the beholders of the first and second rows of 
our gallery stood up so high that I saw nothing of 
the entrance or the Recognition. In order to see the 
enthroning I stood on the rail behind our seats, hold- 
ing on to another rail. I was in nobody's way, and I 
could not resist the temptation. The Queen's small 
dark crown looked pretty, and her mantle of cloth of 
gold very regal. The Homage was as pretty a sight 
as any, trains of Peers touching her crown and then 
kissing her hand." 

Elizabeth Wormeley Latimer tells a little story of 
this time well worth recording here : 

"May I be pardoned for relating here a little ad- 
venture which happened to me in Westminster Abbey 
while preparations for the coronation were going on ? 
The public is in general not allowed to wander at will 
among the tombs and statues, but custodians that day 
could not be spared. I was with a party who had 
tickets to view the preparations. Taking advantage 
of our liberty, we went up on the roof and looked 
down upon London. Coming down we descended a 
very narrow winding stone staircase. Half way down 
I saw a door fastened only by a button. Prompted by 
the curoisity of 'sweet sixteen,' I opened it, and found 



THE CORONATION. 115 

myself face to face, as it seemed to me, with the corpse 
of Queen EHzabeth. There she was, rufif, red hair, 
white satin petticoat, and enormously long stomacher. 
In my fright I had nearly fallen headlong down the 
stairs. It was a wax figure, which for two centuries 
had been shown in the Abbey, and finally, being 
judged an unseemly exhibition, had been thrust into 
this closet on the winding stair, where I dare say it 
remains unto this day." 

Carlyle's comment on this royal pageant, and espe- 
cially on the centre figure of the Coronation, is emi- 
nently characteristic of the Genius of Chelsea. Speak- 
ing of the newly-crowned Monarch, he says : 

"Poor little Queen ! She is at an age at which a 
girl can hardly be trusted to choose a bonnet for her- 
self, yet a task is laid upon her from which an arch- 
angel might shrink." 

The expense of these royal festivities amounted to 
$350,000, but the money was well spent, as it gave 
pleasure to thousands and sowed the germs of loyalty 
amongst the masses, who had thus gained an eyesight 
acquaintance with their young ruler, and they never 
could forget or cease to talk of it to their children. 

The Chancellor of the Exchequer stated in Parlia- 
ment that the pubHc had actually paid $1,000,000 for 
seats from which to view the procession ; and "never," 
he added, "was there given to a sovereign or a country 
a more exalted proof of good conduct and discre- 
tion than was afforded by the assembled multitude on 
this occasion." 

It is said that a hundred children were lost in the 
crowds, but all were brought to the police stations 
and returned to their parents. The foreigners present 



116 THE CORONATION. 

were amazed at the good-feeling and self-control of 
the people. 

The Duke of Wellington gave a grand banquet in 
honor of the occasion at Apsley House. The Cabinet 
Ministers gave State dinners the next day. 

On the evening of the Coronation the theatres were 
opened gratuitously by Her Majesty's command. The 
fetes continued many days ; the Corporation of Lon- 
don, also, gave a splendid entertainment to the foreign 
Ambassadors and distinguished persons without re- 
spect of party. 

That night a hundred guests dined with the newly 
crowned Queen. 

For several days London and its suburbs indulged 
in Coronation revelries, in which the Princes had their 
share. Business was almost forgotten. The school 
children had holidays and were feasted with sweet- 
meats to their hearts' delight. The poor and the aged 
and the infirm were cared for with "lavish kindness." 
England was indeed "Merrie England" in those June 
days of 1838. A Great Coronation Fair was held in 
Hyde Park for four days, which the Queen with cer- 
tain members of the Court graciously visited. So 
ended the great festival of Coronation. 

The old chroniclers tell us that "When Lord Bur- 
leigh rung the bell and said, 'business, your Majesty!' 
that then Queen Elizabeth did quit her junketing." 

But Queen Victoria needed no one to "ring the 
bell," for she loved the business of State more than 
all junketing. 



CHAPTER X. 



THE MAIDEN QUEEN. 

Mr. Greville gives us an account of the manner 
of life of the young sovereign at Windsor about this 
time. She rose at eight o'clock or soon after, break- 
fasted in her own room, and employed the whole 
morning in transacting business. "She reads all the 
despatches, and has every matter of interest and im- 
portance in every department laid before her." He 
writes : "At eleven or twelve Melbourne comes to 
her and stays an hour more or less according to the 
business he may have to transact. At two she rides 
with a large suite (and she likes to have it numerous). 
Melbourne always rides on her left hand, and the 
equerry-in-w^aiting generally on her right. She rides 
for two hours along the road, and the greater part 
of the time at a full gallop. After riding she amuses 
herself for the rest of the afternoon with music and 
singing, playing, romping with children if there are 
any in the Castle (and she is so fond of them that 
she generally contrives to have some there), or in any 
other way she fancies. The hour of dinner is nomi- 
nally half-past seven o'clock, but she seldom appears 
till nearly eight. The lord-in-waiting comes into the 
drawing-room and instructs each gentleman which 
lady he is to take in to dinner. When the guests are 
all assembled the Queen comes in, preceded by the 
gentlemen of her household and followed by the 

117 



118 THE MAIDEN QUEEN. 

Duchess of Kent and all her ladies. She speaks to 
each lady, bows to the men, and goes immediately 
into the dining-room. She generally takes the arm 
of the man of the highest rank. * * * 

"Melbourne invariably sits on her left, no matter 
who may be there. She remains at table the usual 
time, but does not sufifer the men to sit long after 
her, and we were summoned to cofifee in less than a 
quarter of an hour. In the drawing-room she never 
sits down till the men make their appearance. * * * 
The Duchess of Kent's whist-table is arranged, and 
then the round table is marshaled, Melbourne invari- 
ably sitting on the left hand of the Queen and remain- 
ing there without moving till the evening is at an end. 
At half-past eleven she goes to bed, or whenever the 
Duchess has played her usual number of rubbers and 
the band have performed all the pieces on their list 
for the night." 

We are all human, and some of us human enough 
to be envious, to be jealous of those who stand in 
higher places or wield a more conspicuous influence 
than we do. 

Lord Melbourne was chief adviser to the Queen, 
and it would have been a very difficult thing to have 
found a man more fitted to the delicate task. He was 
the leader of the Whig party, but his Tory friends 
acknowledged that he was just the man for the post. 
"I have no small talk," said the Duke of Wellington, 
"and Peel has no manners, and the Queen must be left 
to Melbourne." 

George Villiers, whose observant eye allowed little 
of importance to escape, and whose judgment was 
as sound as his heart was loyal and true to his country 



THE MAIDEN QUEEN. 119 

and his Queen, after a visit to Windsor said that he 
was exceedingl}^ impressed with Lord Melbourne's 
manner to the Queen, and hers to him : his, so 
paternal and anxious, but always so respectful and 
deferential ; hers, indicative of entire confidence, such 
pleasure in his society. She is constantly talking to 
him; let who will be there,. he always sits next her 
at dinner, and evidently by arrangement, because he 
always takes in the lady-in-waiting, which necessarily 
places him next her, the etiquette being that the 
lady-in-waiting sits next but one to the Queen. * 
* * I have no doubt he is passionately fond of her, 
as he might be of his own daughter if he had one, 
and the more because he has a capacity for loving 
with nothing in the world to love. It has become 
his province to educate, instruct and form the most 
interesting mind and character in the world. No 
occupation was ever more engrossing or involved 
greater responsibility. I have no doubt that Mel- 
bourne is both equal to and worthy of the task, and 
that it is fortunate that she has fallen into his hands, 
and that he discharges this great duty wisely, hon- 
orably and conscientiously. There are, however, or 
rather may be hereafter, inconveniences in the estab- 
lishment of such an intimacy, and in a connection 
of so close and affectionate a nature between the 
young Queen and her minister; for whenever the 
government, which hangs by a thread, shall be broken 
up, the parting will be painful and their subsequent 
relations will not be without embarrassment to them- 
selves, nor fail to be the cause of jealousy in others. 
It is a great proof of the discretion and purity of 



120 THE MAIDEN QUEEN. 

his conduct and behavior, that he is admired, re- 
spected and liked by all the Court." 

"If," says an article in the Quarterly, referring to 
Lord Melbourne, "it be, as is universally agreed, that 
no monarch, male or female, ever better understood, 
or more conscientiously fulfilled the highest duties of 
a constitutional sovereign than Queen Victoria, all 
honor to the sagacious, high-minded counselor who 
watched over her with parental care whilst those 
duties were new to her, and devoted his best energies 
to guide and confirm the inborn rectitude of purpose 
and elevation of character by which the prosperity 
of a great empire, and the well-being of millions have 
been nobly upheld. It would be difficult to name a 
more impressive scene than that of the elderly states- 
man, reading, as he did, to the young and inexperi- 
enced sovereign the verses in which Solomon, asked 
by God in a dream what he wished to be given him, 
repHed : 'An understanding heart to judge this 
people.' " 

It is by no means necessary to refer to the scandal 
which arose in the Court aimed at the humiliation of 
Melbourne, further than to say that, like all such 
scandals, it bore the ear-marks of its origin too mani- 
festly to work the evil designed by its authors, and 
soon died a natural, harmless death. 

On its being maliciously remarked to the Duke of 
Wellington, the Tory leader, that "Lord Melbourne 
was a great deal at the palace," the Duke sharply said, 
"I wish to heaven he was always there ;" and three 
years later he spoke thus in the House of Lords : 

"I am willing to admit that the noble Viscount has 
rendered the greatest possible service to Her Majesty ; 



THE MAIDEN QUEEN. 121 

* * * making her acquainted with the mode and 
policy of the government of this country, initiating 
her into the laws and spirit of the Constitution, inde- 
pendently of the performance of his duty as the serv- 
ant of Her Majesty ; teaching her, in short, to preside 
over the destinies of this great country." 

George Greville in his Memoirs says: "The 
Queen is upon terms of the greatest cordiality with 
Lord Melbourne, and very naturally. Everything is 
new and delightful to her. She is surrounded with the 
most exciting and interesting enjoyments; her occu- 
pations, her business, her Court, all present an unceas- 
ing round of gratifications. With all her prudence 
and discretion she has great animal spirits, and enters 
into the magnificent novelties of her position with the 
zest and curiosity of a child. No man is more formed 
to ingratiate himself with her than Melbourne. He 
treats her with unbounded consideration and respect, 
he consults her taste and her wishes, and he puts her 
at her ease by his frank and natural manners, while he 
amuses her by the quaint, queer, and epigrammatic 
turn of his mind, and his varied knowledge upon all 
subjects. It is not therefore surprising that she 
should be well content with her present government. 

* * * She seems to be liberal, but at the same 
time prudent with regard to money, for when the 
Queen-Dowager proposed to her to take her band 
into her service, she declined to incur so great an 
expense without consideration." 

At last Lord Melbourne resigned, and then came 
the amusing episode known as the "Bedchamber 
Question," which made a way for the Whigs to return 
to power. The Duke of WelHngton advised the 



122 THE MAIDEN QUEEN. 

Queen to send for Sir Robert Peel to form a new 
Ministry. McCarthy thus deals with the affair : "The 
Queen sent for Peel, and when he came, told him 
with a simple and girlish frankness that she was sorry 
to have to part with her late Ministers, of whose 
conduct she entirely approved, but that she bowed to 
constitutional usage. This must have been rather an 
astonishing beginning to the grave and formal Peel ; 
but he was not a Lord Carlisle of later time, Irish 
Secretary. It certainly could not be satisfactory for 
Peel to try to work a new Irish policy while the closest 
household companions of the Queen were the wife 
and sister of the displaced statesmen who directly 
represented the poHcy he had to supersede. Had this 
point of view been made clear to the Sovereign at 
first, it is hardly possible that any serious difficulty 
could have arisen. The Queen must have seen the 
obvious reasonableness of Peel's request ; nor is it to 
be supposed that the two ladies in question could 
have desired to hold their places under such circum- 
stances. But unluckily some misunderstanding took 
place at the very beginning of the conversations on 
this point. Peel only desired to press for the retire- 
ment of the ladies holding the higher offices; he did 
not intend to ask for any change affecting a place 
lower in official rank than that of lady of the bed- 
chamber. But the Queen wholly misunderstood the 
situation, and thought her personal rights were being 
trampled upon. She wrote, 'Do not fear that I am 
not calm and composed. They wanted to deprive me 
of my ladies, and I suppose they would next deprive 
me of my dressers and my housemaids ; they wished 



THE MAIDEN QUEEN. 128 

to treat me like a girl, but I will show them that I am 
Queen of England.' " 

In reality there was a mistake all through the 
affair. Sir Robert Peel only wished two of the ladies, 
the Duchess of Sutherland and Lady Normanby (who 
were in closest association with the Queen), to resign ; 
and this because his chief difficulty would arise from 
his Irish policy, and Lord Normanby had been Irish 
Viceroy, Lord Morpeth, the Duchess's brother, Irish 
Secretary, and it would have been extremely awkward 
for Sir Robert to be reversing their policy, while 
their wives had the ear and confidence of the Sov- 
ereign. 

Lord Melbourne and his colleagues had to be re- 
called ; and at a Cabinet meeting they adopted a 
minute declaring it reasonable "that the great offices 
in the Court and situations in the household held by 
members of Parliament should be included in the po- 
litical arrangements made on a change in the Admin- 
istration; but they are not of opinion that a similar 
principle should be applied or extended to the offices 
held by ladies in Her Majesty's household." 

In the course of time the venerable Melbourne re- 
tired from public life, to the great personal sorrow of 
Her Majesty. 

The Queen had trusted with almost unquestioning 
confidence to the loyal and sagacious councils of her - 
venerable adviser. Lord Melbourne. For four years 
he had been almost daily at her right hand. And now 
that he was about to retire from public life. Her 
Majesty felt that she v/as about to suffer an irrepar- 
able loss. But the presence of Prince Albert gave 
her courage and hope. The kindly words the noble 



124 THE MAIDEN QUEEN. 

Lord spoke concerning Prince Albert as he bade his 
gracious Sovereign an official farewell greatly de- 
lighted and encouraged her. In a letter to King Leo- 
pold about this period the Queen writes : 

"I cannot say what a comfort and support my be- 
loved Albert is to me. How well and how kindly 
and properly he behaves. I cannot resist copying for 
you what Lord Melbourne wrote to me about him, 
the evening after we parted. He had already praised 
him greatly before he took leave of me. It is as fol- 
lows: 'Lord Melbourne cannot satisfy himself with- 
out again stating to your Majesty in writing what he 
had the honor of saying to your Majesty respecting 
His Royal Highness the Prince. Lord Melbourne 
has formed the highest opinion of His Royal High- 
ness's judgment, temper and discretion, and he cannot 
but feel a great consideration and security in the re- 
flection that he leaves your Majesty in a situation in 
which your Majesty has the inestimable advantage of 
such advice and assistance. Lord Melbourne feels 
certain that your Majesty cannot do better than have 
recourse to it whenever it is needed, and rely upon 
it with confidence.' This naturally gave me great 
pleasure, and made me very proud, as it comes from 
a person who is no flatterer, and would not have said 
it if he did not think so, or feel so." 

About the same time Lord Melbourne said in con- 
versation with the Queen : 

"You will find a great support in the Prince : he is 
so able. You said when you were going to be mar- 
ried that he was perfection, which I thought a little 
exaggerated then, but really I think now that it is 
in some degree realized." 



THE MAIDEN QUEEN. 125 

And now the horizon broadens and brigntens with 
tender interest for the future domestic happiness of 
the Queen. All England longed to see her happily 
married. But whom would she marry? That there 
was some vague impression abroad that the young 
Queen looked favorably on her German cousin, 
Prince Albert, was true enough. 

It must not be supposed that Prince Albert was 
the only suitor for the heart and hand and throne of 
the youthful Queen. The wooing Princes were as 
numerous as Portia's lovers in "The Merchant of 
Venice." The King had his views on the matter, 
and they were distinctly opposed to the claims of 
Prince Albert. The King had in his mind a Prince 
of the House of Orange as a suitable consort for his 
royal niece. But Victoria would have none of him. 
The Duchess of Kent was not by any means a match- 
making mother. Her hands were busy betimes 
quenching the ardor of princely aspirants to her 
daughter's hand. She kept sacred vigil over the inter- 
ests and happiness of her child. Among other candi- 
dates for Victoria's favor was Duke Ernest of Wur- 
temburg, who was closely related to Prince Albert; 
Her Majesty's cousin Prince George of Cambridge; 
Prince Adalbert of Prussia ; and the Prince of Orange. 
Each suitor had advocates who were quite willing to 
repeat the delicate service of John Alden, only after 
a more dignified manner. Lord William Russell, who 
had been for a season enjoying the courtesies and 
brilliance of the Prussian Court, had been importuned 
to present the claims of Prince Adalbert as a suitable 
candidate. The letter he wrote to the Duchess of 
K^ent was brief and formal. It was as follows : 



126 THE MAIDEN QUEEN. 

"Lord William Russell to the Duchess of Kent. 
"Berlin, 3rd May, 1837. 

"Madam : — Will it be agreeable to your Royal 
Highness for Prince Adalbert of Prussia, the son of 
Prince William, to place himself on the list of suitors 
for the hand of Her Royal Highness Princess Vic- 
toria ? 

"Your permission, madam, would give great satis- 
faction to the Court at Berlin. 

"I have the honor to be 

"Your Royal Highness's humble obedient Servant, 

"W. Russell." 

The Princess had not yet attained her majority, and 
King William IV. was still living. There is such a 
thing as taking Time too vigorously by the forelock. 
The answer of the Duchess of Kent was eminently 
characteristic of that distinguished lady, and indicates 
how thoroughly she understood her business. In 
reply to Lord William Russell she wrote: 

"Kensington, 8th May, 1837. 

"My Lord, I have to acknowledge the receipt of 
your letter of the 3rd inst., asking if it is agreeable 
to me for Prince Adalbert to become a suitor for the 
hand of the Princess Victoria, and stating that my 
consent would give great satisfaction to the Court at 
Berlin. 

"The implicit confidence which the country reposes 
in me, as the only mother since the Restoration, who 
has had undisputed power over the training of the 
throne, imposes upon me duties of no ordinary kind. 
For this reason I could not reconcile it with my duties 
to my child, to the King, and to the country to give 
you the desired answer. The request must be 
addressed to the King. 



THE MAIDEN QUEEN. 127 

"But if I know my duty to the King, I know also 
my duty as a mother, and I will frankly tell your 
Excellency that I am of opinion that the Princess 
should not marry till she is much older. I will only 
add that in regard to the choice of him who is destined 
to share her career, I have but one wish, namely, that 
in this choice her happiness and the interests of the 
country may be realized. 

"I remain, with high esteem, 

"Your Excellency's very sincere Friend, 

"Victoria, Duchess of Kent." 

The well-aimed arrow of this letter did not miss its 
mark. Lord Russell replied, dating his letter as will 
be seen, on the birthday of the Princess Victoria, and 
the day of her coming of age. 

"Berlin, 24th May, 1837. 

"Madam : — I have received the letter with which 
your Royal Highness has honored me. When I 
communicated to Prince Wittgenstein (the Prussian 
Minister) that your motherly sentiments guided you 
in the belief that Princess Victoria was too young to 
marry, he replied that the King of Prussia would, as 
soon as he learnt your opinion, declare himself Prince 
Adalbert's intended journey to England. 

"I take the liberty of remarking to your Royal 
Highness, that the request was simply to allow Prince 
Adalbert to be permitted upon the list of suitors 
to the hand of Princess Victoria, the success of his 
suit being dependently solely upon his character and 
personal attractions. 

"I have the honor to remain, 

"Your Royal Highness's obedient and humble 
Servant, W. Russell." 



128 THE MAIDEN QUEEN. 

It is good to be as wise as a serpent, and as harm- 
less as a dove. It is very evident that the Duchess 
of Kent was intent on brooding over and mothering 
to the uttermost, her darHng dove of Kensington. 




DUCHESS OF KENT. 




PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 



CHAPTER XL 



PRINCE ALBERT COMES TO WOO. 

Baron Stockmar plays a pleasant part in the life of 
the young Queen, and was very much her friend just 
at the time, and under the circumstances, when a 
young maiden needs a true and trusty friend, and a 
friend who will take her "very seriously." On one 
of the dainty fingers of Her Majesty was sometimes 
seen a sm.all enameled ring in the very heart of which 
a small but brilliant diamond was set. Whence came 
this little souvenir ? What did it portend ? My Lord 
Melbourne did not know. The Duke of Wellington, 
great and wonderful as he was, could never have 
guessed. Maybe the Duchess of Kent knew. But 
the Baron Stockmar was certainly in the secret, and 
he smiled a bland and gentle smile as he saw the 
young Queen kiss the ring, that the gallant Saxon 
lad had left as a love token, not long before. But 
the Baron was not only the confidential friend and 
adviser of Her Majesty. His position is spoken of 
in the columns of the Quarterly Review as "the 
bosom friend and counsellor of the heads of the 
Royal Houses of Belgium and England." And the 
same article says that this position was not owing 
"to his personal loveliness, or social qualities, great 
as these were ; still less to the blandishments of the 
courtier, which his princes, equally with himself, 
would have despised ; but to the skill and persistency 
9 129 



130 PRINCE ALBERT COMES TO WOO. 

with which he evoked all that was best in their own 
natures — in which his own nobleness happily found 
a kindred response — and impressed them with the 
paramount duty imposed upon them by their position, 
of using it not for personal or dynastic purposes, but 
to make their subjects better, happier, wiser and 
nobler in themselves, as well as the founders of a 
great future for their successors. Europe is now 
reaping in many ways the fruits of his forethought 
and strenuous endeavor." 

Baron Stockmar had won a most enviable reputa- 
tion at the Court of Coburg as a physician. He was 
the warm personal friend and confidant of Prince 
Leopold, and when the Prince married Charlotte, 
Princess of Wales, in 1816, Baron Stockmar came 
to England, and filled the position of Household 
Physician, Such a post does not ordinarily absorb 
much time, though it demands continuous attend- 
ance. Opportunity was given the Baron to pursue 
a quiet, studious Hfe. He writes to an old friend at 
Coburg : "Surrounded by the tumults of the fashion- 
able world, I am solitary, often alone for days to- 
gether, my books are my companions, my friends, 
my sweethearts." Of the happy life of Leopold and 
Charlotte at Clavemouth he says : "In this house 
reign harmony, peace, love, all the essentials, in short, 
of domestic happiness. My master is the best husband 
in the world, and his wife has for him an amount of 
love which in vastness can only be likened to the 
English National Debt." 

Her Majesty speaks of these days, when the Baron 
was her Uncle Leopold's private secretary, as among 
the happiest days of her childhood. The Duchess of 



PRINCE ALBERT COMES TO WOO. 131 

Kent, Prince Leopold and Baron Stockmar, were in 
league in what may be described as an informal, secret 
conspiracy, concerning the future Queen of England. 
This fair-haired blue-eyed Saxon Prince, who with 
his brother Ernest had recently visited Kensington^ 
was a great favorite with Prince Leopold and with 
the Duchess of Kent. And it will be remembered, 
that while the Princess Victoria and Prince Albert 
of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha were yet in their cradles, the 
royal grandmother of both, the Dowager Duchess of 
Coburg, gave frequent utterance to the half prophetic 
hope, that all in good time, these children might in 
the good providence of God become man and wife. 
Leopold, King of the Belgians, wished above all 
things to see his nephew Albert and his niece Victoria 
united in Marriage. The marriage of Her Majesty 
was a matter in which the whole nation was pro- 
foundly interested. The leading reviews and journals 
of the time were giving the question serious and 
exhaustive consideration. Speaking of King Leo- 
pold's interest in the matter one of these Reviews 
says: "In Victoria his afifections had been centered; 
in her reign he yearned to see the fulfilment of that 
examplar of constitutional monarchy which he had 
hoped to illustrate in the person of the ill-fated 
Charlotte and himself. In the character of his youth- 
ful nephew he saw the qualities which gave promise 
of what he could wish for in the consort of his royal 
niece, and he singled him out from boyhood for the 
destiny which he was ultimately to fulfil. But the 
King was too conscientious to trust to his own judg- 
ment in so grave a matter; and well for our Queen, 
well for the Prince, well for England, he called to his 



132 PRINCE ALBERT COMES TO WOO, 

aid one on whose sagacity and fearless independence 
he could thoroughly rely. This was the friend of his 
heart ; the friend who had stood by him in the hour 
of his agony ; the friend in whose heart thrilled to 
the last the pressure of the hand of that beloved 
Princess, which, as her life ebbed away, clung to his, 
as if to adjure him not to forsake the Prince in whose 
eyes her own were never more to look. This was 
Baron Ernest von Stockmar, the inseparable com- 
panion of her uncle. He had often nursed the baby 
Princess Victoria in his arms. As she grew up, she 
had often played around his knees, and while she 
drank instruction from his lips, she had grown to love 
him for his playful and kindly ways. But it was 
obviously not the future Queen of England merely 
whom Stockmar loved. He loved England too ; loved 
it with all his heart, as the citadel and bulwark of 
freedom, the one country in the world in which the 
claims of the many had been recognized, where a 
free civil life, and pure religion, breathing household 
laws were to be found in fuller force than they had 
yet been known in history." 

It was to this lover of freedom, to this in- 
corruptible friend and adviser of Princes, who 
had been the playmate and watchful guardian of 
Victoria's childhood, that was entrusted the deli- 
cate task of paving the way for a marriage 
between the studious, amiable Prince Albert of Saxe- 
Coburg-Gotha and the youthful Queen of England. 

Prince Albert, son of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg- 
Saalfeld, was born at the Rosenau, a summer resi- 
dence of the Duke's, about four miles from Coburg. 
His grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Coburg- 



PRINCE ALBERT COMES TO WOO. 133 

Saalfeld, jesided at this time at Ketschendorf, a small 
villa about a quarter of a mile on the other side of 
Coburg, A little before seven in the morning of the 
26th of August, 1819, a groom from the Rosenau 
rode into the court-yard of Ketschendorf to summon 
the Duchess to the former place, bringing the news 
of the safe confinement of her daughter-in-law and 
of the birth of the young Prince. 

On the 19th of September the young Prince was 
christened in the Marble Hall at the Rosenau, when 
he received the following names in the order in which 
they are given : Francis Charles Augustus Albert 
Emmanuel. The name by which he was known, 
Albert, being the last but one. 

The officiating clergyman was Professor Sanzler, 
who married the Duke and Duchess of Kent at the 
Palace in Coburg in 18 18, and these are words the 
preacher spoke concerning the new-born Prince : 

"The good wishes with which we welcome this 
infant as a Christian, as one destined to be great on 
earth, and as a future heir to everlasting life, are the 
more earnest, when we consider the high position in 
life in which he may one day be placed, and the sphere 
of action to which the vv^ill of God may call him, in 
order to contribute more or less to the promotion of 
truth and virtue, and to the extension of the kingdom 
of God. * * * Xhe thoughts and supphcations 
of the loving mother are, that her beloved son may 
one day enter into the kingdom of God as pure and 
as innocent after the trials of this life as he is at this 
moment (the joy and hope of his parents) received 
into the communion of this Christian Church, whose 



134 PRINCE ALBERT COMES TO WOO. 

vocation it is to bring up and form on earth a God- 
fearing race." 

Here is a picture of the early youth of the Prince : 

"Albert was never noisy or wild. He was always 
very fond of natural history, and of more serious 
studies. Many an hour we boys spent under the attic 
roof arranging and dusting the collections we had 
stored up there. He had a turn for imitation, and a 
strong sense of the ludicrous, but was never severe 
or ill-natured, always refraining from pushing a joke 
so far as to hurt anybody's feelings. From his earliest 
infancy he was distinguished by his perfect moral 
purity, both in word and deed, and to this he owed 
the sweetness of disposition which rnade him beloved 
by every one." 

The Prince's education was carefully conducted, 
after which he traveled in Italy and Switzerland. 

The Prince spent some very happy days at Flor- 
ence. 

"The Prince was staying at the Casa Cerini, Via 
del Coromen. * * * He rose at six o'clock. After 
a light breakfast he studied Italian under a Signor 
Martini, read English with me for an hour, played on 
the organ or piano, composed, sung till twelve o'clock, 
when he generally walked, visiting some gallery, or 
seeing some artist." 

On the 9th of January, 1839, he again writes : "We 
are now established in the Casa Cerini, a house be- 
longing to the Marquis Cerini, which is very well 
situated. We have very airy and pretty rooms, still 
furnished in the style of Louis XIV." (After men- 
tioning that he had been the week before to Pisa, to 
attend the funeral of Princess Marie of Wiirtemberg, 



PRINCE ALBERT COMES TO WOO. 136 

he proceeds) : "I left immediately after the funeral 
and returned to Florence, having heard that the Due 
de Nemours wished to leave Pisa the same day, in 
order to get away as soon as possible from a place 
connected with so many painful recollections." 

In his letters toward the end of his stay at Florence, 
the Prince describes his life as having been very gay ; 
dining out a great deal, and attending balls ; one of 
which, given at the Pergola Theatre, he mentions as 
having been particularly brilliant, and of his having 
danced at it till he was quite tired. But we may be 
sure that his time was also more usefully spent in 
studying all that was best and most remarkable in art. 
His habits were very simple. After a long ramble 
he would return home at two to a simple dinner, 
which he hurried over as much as possible, giving 
as a reason that "eating was a waste of time." His 
drink was water. After dinner he again played and 
sang for an hour, when the carriage was announced, 
and he usually paid some visits. The visits over, the 
carriage was dismissed, and the great delight of the 
Prince was to take long walks in the beautiful country 
round Florence. This he appeared heartily to enjoy. 
He became at once gay and animated. "Now I can 
breathe — now I am happy !" Such were his constant 
exclamations. He seldom returned home till seven 
o'clock, his hour for tea; and, if not going to the 
Opera or an evening party, he joined in some interest- 
ing and often amusing conversation with Baron 
Stockmar, when the latter felt well enough to come 
to tea. At nine, or soon after, he was in bed and 
asleep, for he had been accustomed to such early 



136 PRINCE ALBERT COMES TO WOO. 

hours in his own country that he had great difficulty 
in keeping himself awake when obliged to sit up late. 

We now follow Prince Albert to Rome. He was 
greatly interested and delighted with all he saw. He 
describes all he had seen during Easter week. He 
says he had been interested, but that the only cere- 
mony which had not disappointed him, as being less 
grand and imposing than he had expected, was that 
of the "Pope's blessing the people, assembled before 
the Vatican, from the balcony, amid the ringing of 
bells, firing of cannon, and military music." "It was," 
he says, "really a most imposing scene." 

"Last Tuesday," he adds, "I had the honor of an 
interview with His Holiness. The old gentleman was 
very kind and civil. I remained with him nearly half 
an hour, shut up in a small room. We conversed in 
Italian on the influence the Egyptians had had on 
Greek art, and that again on Roman art. The Pope 
asserted that the Greeks had taken their models from 
the Etruscans. In spite of his infallibility, I ventured 
to assert that they had derived their lessons in art 
from the Egyptians." 

At the beginning of April the Prince left Rome for 
Naples, from whence he thus writes to his father on 
the nth: 

"I have now been here about five daySj and occu- 
pied with seeing the lions, of which, however, Naples 
has not many to show. The natural beauties of the 
place, which are really wonderful, are what strike one. 
But I have not been able to enjoy them as I could 
wish, as the southern coloring is quite wanting. The 
surrounding mountains, and even Vesuvius, are cov- 
ered with snow ; and the sky and the sea are so dull 



PRINCE ALBERT COMES TO WOO. 137 

and gray, that one might fancy one's self transported 
to the North Sea. They say when the moon changes, 
which it will do in a few days, that we may expect a 
change for the better." 

The Queen, alluding to this tour in 1864, relates 
that the Prince sent her a small book containing 
v'iews of all the places above enumerated except two. 
From one of these, the top of the Rigi, he sent her a 
dried "Rose des Alpes ;" and from the other, Vol- 
taire's house at Ferney, which he visited from Geneva, 
a scrap of Voltaire's handwriting, which he obtained 
from his old servant. 

"The whole of these," the Queen adds, "were 
placed in a small album, with the dates at which each 
place was visited, in the Prince's handwriting; and 
this album the Queen now considers one of her 
greatest treasures, and never goes anywhere without 
it. Nothing had at this time passed between the 
Queen and the Prince ; but this gift shows that the 
latter, in the midst of his travels, often thought of his 
young" cousin." 

Of his first visit to England, which occurred in the 
summer of 1836, Prince Albert writes thus : 

"My first appearance was at a levee of the Kings, 
which was long and fatiguing, but very interesting. 
The same evening we dined at Court, and at night 
there was a beautiful concert at which we had to stand 
till two o'clock. The next day, the King's birthday, 
was kept. We went in the middle of the day to a 
drawing room at St. James's, at which about 3,800 
people passed before the King and the Queen and 
the other high dignitaries to ofifer their congratula- 
tions. There was again a great dinner in the evening 



138 PRINXE ALBERT COMES TO WOO. 

and then a concert, which lasted till one o'clock. You 
can well imagine that I had many hard battles to fight 
against sleeplessness during these late entertainments. 
The day before yesterday, Monday, our aunt gave a 
brilliant ball here at Kensington Palace, at which the 
gentlemen appeared in uniform and the ladies in 
so-called fancy dresses. We remained till four 
o'clock. Duke William of Brunswick, the Prince of 
Orange and his two sons, and the Duke of Welling- 
ton were the only guests you will care to hear about. 
Yesterday we spent with the Duke of Northumber- 
land at Sion, and now we are going to Claremont. 
From this account you will see how constantly 
engaged we are, and that we must make the most of 
our time to see at least some of the sights of London. 
Dear Aunt is very kind to us, and does all she can 
to please us, and our cousin also is very amiable." 

If the question of marriage was not an exceedingly 
solemn matter with the young Queen, it was never- 
theless a matter of grave importance, and she seems to 
have missed no reasonable opportunity of informing 
herself concerning the character of the man to whom 
she was about to entrust her future. She set great 
store by the opinions of the Prince William of 
Lowenstein, who had the best possible opportunities 
of knowing the young Prince thoroughly. In 
response to her modest, but earnestly expressed 
desire. Prince William wrote the following compre- 
hensive letter : — • 

"In 1837 I had the good fortune to make the 
acquaintance of Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg at the 
University of Bonn. Among all the young men at 
the University he was distinguished by his knowl- 



PRINCE ALBERT COMES TO WOO. 139 

edge, his diligence, and his amiable bearing in society. 
He Hked, above all things, to discuss questions of 
public law and metaphysics, and constantly, during 
our many walks, juridical principles or philosophical 
doctrines were thoroughly discussed. On such occa- 
sions the Councilor Florschiitz, who had accom- 
panied the two Princes from Coburg, used to turn i 
the conversation to subjects of general interest. 

"Such professors as Fichte, Perthes, and Hollweg 
could not fail to exercise a stimulating influence over 
the youthful minds of their hearers ; and even August 
Wilhelm von Schlegel, in spite of his extraordinary 
vanity, will not easily be forgotten by those who 
attended his lectures. 

"Among his other social qualities, Prince Albert 
possessed a lively sense of the ridiculous, as well as 
great talent for mimicking; and it could scarcely fail 
but that the immediate subjects for the exercise of 
this talent should be his own attendants, and the 
professors, who, while absorbed in their lectures, 
exhibited some striking peculiarities and odd man- 
ners. Prince Albert could take these ofif inimitably, 
and was enabled by his good memory to reproduce 
whole sentences out of their lectures to the general 
amusement of his company. At the same time, the 
Prince's perfect good taste prevented his ever giving 
offense, even when he allowed the most uncontrolled 
play to his fun. 

"The somewhat stiff military nature of the Princes' 
governor. Colonel von Wiechmann, gave occasion to 
many disputes with the young Princes, and frequently 
led to the most comical scenes. It is impossible to 
give an idea in writing of the many trifling occur- 



140 PRINCE ALBERT COMES TO WOO. 

rences of this kind, for the ludicrous effect depended 
more on the mimicry and accentuation than upon the 
subject itself. 

"Among those who, without knowing it, con- 
tributed largely to our amusement, was Oberberg 
Hauptmann von Beust. He had a very pleasant 
house, to which he often invited us, and spoke with 
the most genuine Saxon accent. He was a little, thick- 
set, very good-humored, but somewhat awkward man. 
One day he showed us a picture of Venice, and it is 
impossible to forget the gesture and accent with 
which, pointing to a row of houses, he said, 'This is 
the Ponte Rialto.' 

"Another person who afforded us much amusement 
was Rath Wolff, in attendance on the Count of 
Erbach ; as, for instance, when one day tasting some 
red wine, he exclaimed, 'This is not real Walport- 
zheimer' — a very simple remark, but which was for 
years brought up against him ; or when, at another 
time, he fell in a race, and had to look for his spec- 
"tacles. 

"Prince Albert had a great turn for drawing carica- 
tures, and among the scenes of his University life of 
which he has thus perpetuated the memory, Professors 
Fichte and Lobell, and the spectacles of Rath Wolff, 
are favorite subjects. 

"The Prince's humor and sense of the ludicrous, 
however, found a natural counterpoise in his other 
great and sterling qualities; and the great business 
of his later life, the many important duties he had to 
fulfill, soon drove into the background the humorous 
part of his character, which had been so prominent at 
the Universitv. 



PRINCE ALBERT COMES TO WOO. 141 

"As the Prince excelled most of his contemporaries 
in the use of intellectual weapons, in the art of con- 
vincing, in strictly logical argument, so he was dis- 
tinguished also in all kinds of bodily exercise. In 
fencing and the practice of the broadsword he was 
very skillful. In fencing especially he excelled so 
much, that once in a fencing match he earried off the 
prize from all his competitors. 

"I recall with much pleasure our excursion on foot 
to the neighboring Siebengebirge, so rich in legend ; 
to the valley of the Aar, where the celebrated Wal- 
portzheimer wine is produced ; and up and down the 
Rhine. 

"Two fine greyhounds usually followed the princes, 
one of which, called Eos" [already mentioned as hav- 
ing been brought by the Prince to England], "was 
remarkable for sagacity and beauty, and was so fast 
that she could in the shortest time catch a hare and 
bring it back. On this account she was Prince Al- 
bert's favorite. 

"Music was also a favorite pursuit of the students. 
To the despair of Colonel von Wiechmann, we learned 
several students' songs, and even practiced the 
'Glocke' of Romberg for four voices. In spite of 
many false notes, we went resolutely on, and passed 
many an evening in song. Prince Albert was looked 
upon am.ong us as a master of the art. 

"Attempts were even made at dramatic perform- 
ances, some scene or intrigue being invented and 
spoken, and then at once represented. These impro- 
visings had doubtless little artistic merit, but they were 
not the less amusing. Prince Albert was always the 
hfe and soul of them, and acted the principal parts. 



142 PRINCE ALBERT COMES TO WOO. 

"He entered with the greatest eagerness into every 
study in which he engaged, whether belonging to 
science or art. He spared no exertion either of mind 
or body ; on the contrary, he rather sought difficulties 
in order to overcome them. The result was such an 
harmonious development of his powers and faculties 
as is very seldom arrived at. 

"Wilhelm, Prince Lowenstein." 

The matter of the Queen's marriage was an inter- 
esting topic in Court circles. The possibility of Prince 
Albert becoming the happy Bridegroom of the Queen 
of the Isles was the theme on the lips of all the Court 
ladies. On the 15th of December of this eventful 
year 1839 Baron Stockmar wrote the following letter 
to the Baroness Luhzen, in which is a just and sugges- 
tive estimate of the Prince. No man knew him bet- 
ter, and the Baron was not a very great favorite in 
certain quarters, but he was held in universal respect, 
and this letter, and other tributes ^to the noble quali- 
ties of the Prince, helped to make his way less diffi- 
cult in the future. It was evidently the Baron's first 
desire to give the impression that the Prince was 
worthy of all confidence and respect. The Baron 
says: 

"With sincere pleasure, I assure you, the more I 
see of the Prince the better I esteem and love him. 
His intellect is so sound and clear, his nature so 
unspoiled, so childlike, so predisposed to goodness 
as well as truth, that only two external elements will 
be required to make of him a truly distinguished 
Prince. The first of these will be opportunity to ac- 
quire a proper knowledge of men and of the world; 
the second will be intercourse with Englishmen of 



PRINCE ALBERT COMES TO WOO. 143 

experience, culture and integrity, by whom he may be 
made thoroughly conversant with their Nation and 
Constitution. * * * ^s regards his future rela- 
tions with the Queen, I have a confident hope that 
they will make each other happy by mutual love, con- 
fidence and esteem. As I have known the Queen, she 
was always quick and acute in her perceptions, 
straightforward moreover, of singular purity of heart, 
without a trace of vanity or pretension. She will con- 
sequently do full justice to the Prince's hand and 
heart ; and if this be so, and the Prince be really loved 
by the Queen, and recognized for what he is, then his 
position will be right in the main, especially if he man- 
age at the same time to secure the good will of the 
Nation. Of course, he will have storms to encounter, 
and disagreeables, like other people, especially those 
of exalted rank. But if he really possess the love of 
the Queen and the respect of the Nation, I will answer 
for it that after every storm he will come safely into 
port. You will therefore have my entire approval, if 
you think the best course is to leave him to his clear 
head, his sound feeling and excellent disposition." 

Many different stories are told of the romantic form 
in which the engagement of the Queen and Prince Al- 
bert was finally consummated. While they differ a 
little as to the mode, they all agree in the fact that 
the Queen proposed for the hand of her royal cousin. 
One story says that the Queen sought to encourage 
her somewhat bashful lover, by asking him how he 
liked England, to which he responded, "Very much." 
On a subsequent occasion, the Queen asked him how 
he would like to live in England, to which it is said 
he replied with considerable ardor: "Exceedingly!" 



144 PRINCE ALBERT COMES TO WOO. 

Another account says that Her. Majesty enquired of 
his Serene Highness whether his visit to this country 
had been agreeable to him ; whether he Hked England. 
And on the answer being given in the affirmative, as 
we have seen, "Then," added the Queen, "it depends 
on you to make it your home." 

This sacred engagement^ in whatever form, was 
m_ade on the 15th of October. Prince Albert had been 
out hunting with his brother, and returned to the Castle 
about noon. Half an hour afterward he received a 
summons from the Queen, and went to her room, 
finding her alone. After a few moments conversation 
on other subjects, the Queen told him why she had 
sent for him, and the whole story of mutual love was 
sweetly told. The hand she ofifered was holding the 
sceptre of empire. Princes and peers and nobles of 
high degree had kissed it loyal homage. But it was 
still a woman's hand, quick with the thrill and impulse 
of love, a hand that needed guidance and sympathy and 
love ; and it is not too much to say that the man to 
Avhom she ofifered hand and heart and all was fully 
worthy of that royal gift. 

That same day the Queen's heart, overflowing with 
love, prompted her to write to her good friend, the 
Baron Stockmar. On such a day there surely was but 
one theme for correspondence. The news came upon 
the good Baron somewhat suddenly. Love aflfairs 
have very often the element of "suddenness." The 
Queen had told him not long before, and that with a 
good deal of emphasis, that she did not intend to 
change her unmarried state for a long period. And 
now she wrote : "I do feel so guilty I know not how 
to begin my letter ; but I think the news it will contain 



PRINCE ALBERT COMES TO WOO. 145 

will be sufficient to ensure your forgiveness. Albert 
has completely won my heart, and all was settled be- 
tween us this morning. I feel certain he will make me 
happy. I wish I could feel as certain of my making 
him happy." 

The Prince's account of Her Majesty's proposal is 
as brief as it is beautiful. He says : 

"The Queen sent for me alone to her room a few 
days ago, and declared to me in a genuine outburst of 
love and affection that I had gained her whole heart, 
and that I would make her intensely happy if I would 
make her the sacrifice of sharing her life with her, for 
she said she looked on it as a sacrifice ; the only thing' 
that troubled her was that she did not think herself 
worthy of me. The joyous openness of manner in 
which she told me this enchanted me. I was quite 
carried away by it. She is truly moet good and most 
amiable, and I am sure Heaven has not given me over 
into evil hands." 

On the memorable day of her espousals, the Queen 
wrote to her Uncle Leopold. 

"Windsor Castle, Oct. 15, 1839. 

"My Dearest Uncle, — This letter will, I am sure, 
give you pleasure, for you have always shown and 
taken so warm an interest in all that concerns me. My 
mind is quite made up, and I told Albert this morning 
of it. The warm afifection he showed me on learning 
this gave me great pleasure. He seems perfection, 
and I think that I have the prospect of very great hap- 
piness before me. I love him more than I can say, and 
shall do everything in my power to render this sacri- 
fice (for such in my opinion it is) as small as I can. 
He seems to have great tact, a very necessary thing in 
10 



146 PRINCE ALBERT COMES TO WOO. 

his position. These last few days have passed like a 
dream to me, and I am so much bewildered by it all 
that I know hardly how to write ; but I do feel very 
happy. It is absolutely necessary that this determina- 
tion of mine should be known to no one but yourself 
and to Uncle Ernest until after the meeting of Parlia- 
ment, as it would be considered, otherwise, neglectful 
on my part not to have assembled Parliament at once 
to inform them of it. 

"Lord Melbourne, whom I have of course consulted 
about the whole affair, quite approves my choice, and 
expresses great satisfaction at this event, which he 
thinks in every way highly desirable. 

"Lord Melbourne has acted in this business, as he 
has always done toward me, with the greatest kind- 
ness and affection. We also think it better, and Albert 
quite approves of it, that we should be married very 
soon after Parliament meets, about the beginning of 
February. 

"Pray, dearest uncle, forward these two letters to 
Uncle Ernest, to whom I beg you will enjoin strict 
secrecy, and explain these details, which I have not 
time to do, and to faithful Stockmar. I think you 
might tell Louise of it, but none of her family. 

"I wish to keep the dear young gentleman here till 
the end of next month. Ernest's sincere pleasure 
gives me great delight. He does so adore dearest Al- 
bert. 

"Ever, dearest uncle, your devoted niece, V. R." 

To which the delighted and loving uncle replied : 

My Dearest Victoria, — Nothing could have given 
me greater pleasure than your dear letter. I had when 
I learned your decision almost the feeling of old Sim- 



PRINCE ALBERT COMES TO WOO. 147 

eon. Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace. 
Your choice has befin for these last years my convic- 
tion of what would be best for your happiness; and 
just because I was convinced of this, and knew how 
strangely fate often changes what one tries to bring 
about as being the best plan one could fix upon, I 
feared it could not happen. In your position, which 
may, and will, perhaps, become in future even more 
difficult in a political point of view, you could not exist 
without having a happy and agreeable interieur; and 
I am much deceived (which I think I am not), or you 
will find in Albert just the qualities and disposition 
which are indispensable for your happiness, and which 
will suit your own character, temper, and mode of life. 
You say most amiably that you consider it a sacrifice 
on the part of Albert. This is true on many points, 
because his position will be a difficult one ; but much, 
I may say all, will depend on your affection for him. 
If you love him and are kind to him he will easily bear 
the bothers of his position, and there is a steadiness, 
and at the same time a cheerfulness, in his character, 
which will facihtate this." 

A pleasant story is told of Prince Albert's love- 
making, that for its simplicity and beauty will interest 
all lovers, for "all the world loves a lover." One even- 
ing at Windsor during his second visit Prince attended 
a ball, where he had the supreme privilege and delight 
of dancing with cousin Queen. In the intervals of 
the dances there was opportunity for pleasant conver- 
sation, of which the royal lovers were not slow to 
avail themselves. During these entrancing moments, 
the Queen carefully selected certain flowers from the 
bouquet she was carrying, and with a gracious bow, 



148 PRINCE ALBERT COMES TO WOO. 

and a smile that conveyed worlds of meaning to the 
young Saxon prince on whom she smiled, she pre- 
sented them to her lover, Prince Albert accepting the 
smile with an understanding mind as well as a grate- 
ful heart. But alas ! and alack ! Where should he put 
these flowers? He was dressed in a tightly-buttoned, 
handsom^e, green Rifle Brigade uniform. He was al- 
most choked, so gallantly and tightly was he attired. 
But love that "laughs at locksmiths" is greater than 
button-holes and Albert, finding his penknife after a 
struggle, cut a hole just above where he believed his 
heart to be, and inserted the flowers, and wore them 
as proudly as though they were the insignia of the 
highest order in earth or heaven, as no doubt they 
were. Flowers have had a language for lovers since 
the world began, and they will have while the world 
endures. 



CHAPTER XII. 



PREPARATIONS FOR THE NUPTIALS. 

On the 23rd of November, 1839, the Queen made 
declaration of her purpose to marry, before the Privy 
Council. There were upwards of eighty members 
of that august body assembled, all greatly interested 
in the message the young Queen was about to impart. 
Calmly and impassionately, without the slightest in- 
dication of unusual emotion, the Queen read the 
following declaration : 

"I have caused you to be summoned at the present 
time in order that I may acquaint you with my 
resolution in a matter which deeply concerns the 
welfare of my people, and the happiness of my future 
life. It is my intention to ally myself in marriage 
with the Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. 
Deeply impressed with the solemnity of the engage- 
ment which I am about to. contract, I have not come 
to this decision without mature consideration, nor 
without feeling a strong assurance that with the 
blessing of Almighty God it will at once secure my 
domestic felicity and serve the interests of my 
country. 

"I have thought fit to make this resolution known 
to you at the earliest period, in order that you may 
be apprised of a matter so highly important to me 
and to my kingdom, and which, I persuade myself, 
will be most acceptable to all my loving subjects." 

149 



160 PREPARATIONS FOR THE NUPTIALS. 

On the i6th of January, 1840, Her Majesty opened 
Parliament in person. The House of Lords was 
densely crowded with a brilliant assemblage. The 
Queen, with great calmness and distinct articulation, 
said: 

"Since you were last assembled, I have declared 
my intention of allying myself in marriage with the 
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. I humbly 
implore that the Divine blessing may prosper this 
union, and render it conducive to the interests of my 
people, as well as to my own domestic happiness; 
and it will be to me a source of the most lively satis- 
faction to find the resolution I have taken approved 
by my Parliament. The constant proofs which I 
have received of your attachment to my person and 
family persuade me that you will enable me to provide 
for such an establishment as may appear suitable to 
the rank of the Prince, and the dignity of the Crown." 

There was some considerable discussion in the 
House of Commons, not of the most pleasant nature, 
concerning the income to be voted to Prince Albert. 
The proposed vote of $250,000 was finally reduced 
to $150,000 per annum. This gave the Queen some 
annoyance, but she was too Queenly and sagacious 
to allow a mere matter of money to disturb her 
serenity, or to inspire any spirit of resentment. It 
was the Prince, not his income, her heart was set 
upon. 

Sir Robert Peel, who was then the leader of the 
Opposition, was very happy in his congratulatory 
address. He said: 

"I entirely enter into the aspirations for the happi- 
ness of Her Majesty in her approaching nuptials. * 



PREPARATIONS FOR THE NUPTIALS, 151 

* * Her Majesty has the singular good fortune to 
be able to gratify her private feelings while she per- 
forms her public duty, and to obtain the best guar- 
antee for happiness by contracting an alliance formed 
on affection. I cordially hope that the union now 
contemplated will contribute to Her Majesty's happi- 
ness, and enable her to furnish to her people an ex- 
alted example of connubial felicity." 

All England was now chiefly concerned about the 
Royal Wedding, which was fixed for the loth of 
February. 

The question of Prince Albert's position occasioned 
a little friction. The Queen wished a clause put into 
the Naturalization Bill to the effect that her husband 
was to take rank in the country next to herself. To 
this the royal Dukes objected, and Parliament 
dropped the clause. But where there is a will there's 
a way. The Queen asserted her royal prerogative 
that it was her will and pleasure that the Prince 
should "enjoy place, pre-eminence and precedence 
next to Her Majesty. This was a bold step to take, 
but on the whole it was wise. The Queen was evi- 
dently going to be a Queen ! Prince Albert said : 
"While I possess your love, they cannot make me 
unhappy." 

It is said that immediately prior to the Royal 
Wedding the Archbishop waited upon Her Majesty 
to inquire if she had considered that point of the 
service for the solemnization of matrimony which 
involved the pledge of "obedience" on the part of the 
wife. The learned Prelate seemed to think the 
promise to "obey" was rather a strange promise for 
the sovereign of Great Britain to make to her newly 



152 PREPARATIONS FOR THE NUPTIALS. 

naturalized subject, Prince Albert, who had just 
taken the oath to her as his liege lady the Queen. 
It is said that the royal bride-to-be was at no loss for 
an answer. It was her wish, she said, to be married 
in all respects like any other woman according to 
the revered usages of the Church of England, and 
that, though not as a Queen, as a woman she was 
ready to promise all things contained in that portion 
of the Liturgy." 

Windsor Castle was very busy making all sorts of 
preparations for the royal wedding. Happy maidens 
who read these pages, joyful in the assurance that 
their wedding-bells will soon be set a-ringing, will be 
interested to know the Queen's wedding cake was one 
of the most wonderful productions of the confection- 
er's art. It weighed three hundred pounds, and was 
three yards in circumference. It was adorned on the 
upper surface with dainty groups and charming fig- 
ures and suggestive emblems. There were cupids 
with gilded bows and arrows, and turtle-doves in pairs. 
Britannia was very solemnly engaged in the act of 
blessing a Roman bride and bridegroom, and last of 
all, out of compliment to the Queen's love of her fa- 
vorite "Dash," the model of a little dog lay curled up, 
the type of constancy and devotion. A cake of such 
a size would easily provide a thousand maidens with 
wedding-cake enough to place beneath their pillows to 
woo the dreams of love. 

All was now ready and a deputation was dispatched 
to bring the Bridegroom to the Bride. 

On the 14th of January, 1840, Lord To^rington 
and General Grey left Buckingham Palace with three 
of the Queen's carriages for Gotha, whence they were 



PREPARATIONS FOR THE NUPTIALS. 153 

to escort Prince Albert to England for his marriage. 
They were also bearers of the Garter with which the 
Prince was to be invested before he left Gotha. 

Arriving on the afternoon of the 20th, they were 
presented the same evening to the duke, by whom 
and the young princes they were most kindly received. 
Later in the evening they were presented to the dow- 
ager duchess, from whom so many letters have been 
quoted, at an evening party at her own house. The 
next morning, after breakfast in their own rooms, the 
English gentlemen were visited by the two young 
princes, who remained with them about an hour, im- 
pressing them most favorably by the unaffected kind- 
ness and cordiality of their manner. Prince Albert 
was naturally very anxious to hear how the marriage 
was Hked in England — looking forward, as it seemed, 
with much pleasure, but, at the same time, not without 
some degree of nervousness, to the change which was 
about to take place in his position, and expressing a 
very natural sorrow at the impending separation from 
all his old associations. At four o'clock there was a 
great dinner, and in the evening a masked ball at the 
theatre, to which the duke and duchess, and all the 
court, went a little after eight. 

It had been arranged that the ceremony of investing 
Prince Albert with the Garter should take place on the 
23d. Accordingly, at half past three on that day the 
whole court assembled, in full uniform, in the throne- 
room ; the duke on the throne, with Prince Albert on 
his right, supported by his brother, the Prince of 
Leiningen, etc. The duchess, the Princess of Leinin- 
gen, the Princess of Reuss, etc., were in a box on one 
side of the room ; the ladies of the court in a similar 



154 PREPARATIONS FOR THE NUPTIALS. 

one opposite ; while the back of the apartment was 
filled with as many people from the town as it would 
hold. The fine corridor leading to the throne-room 
was lined with soldiers ; and when every one had 
taken his place, Lord Torrington was ushered in by 
the chamberlain and other officers of the court, sup- 
ported on one side by Colonel Grey, and on the other 
by Colonel Bentinck, of the Coldstream Guards (a 
chance visitor at Gotha at the time), bearing on white 
satin cushions the insignia of the Garter, with which 
the duke, himself a Knight of the Order, was, by 
letters patent, authorized to invest his son. Lord Tor- 
rington having delivered and read the letters of which 
he was the bearer, they were again read in German — 
the patent of election was presented — and Prince Al- 
bert was then duly invested with the various insignia. 

On Sunday the dowager duchess received the Eng- 
lish gentlemen in the forenoon, and was much affected 
by their visit. She was very deaf, but it was really 
painful to witness her efforts to keep down her grief. 
She took the gentlemen over her rooms, showed them 
her pictures, etc. ; but the conversation always came 
back to Prince Albert, and his name was never men- 
tioned without a fresh burst of tears. It was a touch- 
ing and natural expression of sorrow; for what cer- 
tainty could the duchess feel that, at her age, she 
would be permitted again to see her beloved grandson. 
Monday, the 27th, was the last day the Prince was to 
spend in his paternal home. The next day he was to 
turn his back on all the scenes of his youthful associa- 
tions, and to set out to commence a new career. 

The departure from Gotha was an affecting scene, 
and everything showed the genuine love of all classes 



PREPARATIONS FOR THE NUPTIALS. 155 

for their young Prince. The streets were densely 
crowded ; every window was crammed with heads ; 
every house-top covered with people, waving hand- 
kerchiefs, and vying with each other in demonstra- 
tions of affection that could not be mistaken. The 
carriages stopped in passing the dowager duchess's, 
and Prince Albert got out with his father and brother 
to bid her a last adieu. It was a terrible trial to the 
poor duchess, who was inconsolable for the loss of her 
beloved grandson. She came to the window as the 
carriages drove off, and threw her arms out, calling 
out "Albert ! x\lbert !" in tones that went to every one's 
heart, when she was carried away, almost in a fainting 
state, by her attendants. 

There is something beautiful in Prince Albert's rev- 
erent regard for his venerable grandmother. Charmed 
as he is, with the thought of England and his beloved 
Victoria, yet the thought of the sea dividing between 
them is a thought of sadness. He writes thus, on the 
morning of his wedding-day : 

"But it is very painful to know that there will be 
the sea between us. 

"I now take leave of you again. Victoria is writing 
to you herself to tell you all she wishes. 

"I ask you to give me your grandmotherly blessing 
in this important and decisive step in my life ; it will 
be a talisman to me against all the storms the future 
may have in store for me. 

"Good-by, dear grandmamma, and do not take your 
love from me. 

"Heaven will make all things right. 

"Always and ever your devoted grandson, 

"Albert." 



156 PREPARATIONS FOR THE NUPTIALS. 

Nothing could exceed the enthusiasm of the recep- 
tion which greeted the Prince when he set his foot on 
the English shore as the affianced husband of our 
Queen ; and he must have been at once convinced that 
if the Houses of Parliament in their late votes had 
been actuated by any personal feelings against him- 
self, or against the marriage, those feelings were not 
shared by the people of England. 

The night was spent at Dover, at the York Hotel 
(it stood on the Esplanade, but now no longer exists), 
and after a very poor attempt by most of the party at 
dinner, every one was glad to get to bed before nine 
o'clock. 

It had been arranged that the Prince should not 
arrive at Buckingham Palace till Saturday, the 8th ; a 
short journey was therefore made the next day to 
Canterbury, the Prince having first received an ad- 
dress from the Mayor and other authorities of Dover, 
and having held a reception, at which the command- 
ant and officers of the garrison were presented to him. 
It poured with rain all the morning, but this did not 
prevent immense crowds from assembling at Dover 
to see the Prince depart, or from turning out in every 
village through which he passed on his way to Can- 
terbury, to welcome him with true English and heart- 
felt cheers. 

His reception at Canterbury was no less enthusias- 
tic, and the unfortunate nature of the weather seemed 
to have no effect in damping the ardor of the multi- 
tudes that thronged the streets. The royal party ar- 
rived at two, accompanied by an escort of the nth 
Hussars, and having received an address from the 
city authorities, the .PrincC;, with his brother, attended 



PREPARATIONS FOR THE NUPTIALS. 157 

the service of the Cathedral at three. In the evening 
the city was illuminated, and vast crowds assembled 
before the hotel, cheering and calling for the Prince, 
who answered their call by appearing, to their great 
delight, on the balcony. 

On Saturday morning, the 8th, after receiving an 
address from the Dean and Chaplain of Canterbury, 
the Prince left Canterbury for London, meeting with 
the most enthusiastic reception all along the whole 
line of route to Buckingham Palace, 

When Prince Albert reached Buckingham Palace 
a tender and loyal greeting awaited him. The first to 
hail his presence was his loving bride-elect. The 
Queen, radiant and beautiful, stood at the outer door, 
beside her mother the Duchess of Kent, to bid her 
bridegroom welcome. Afifairs moved on with winged 
feet in these halcyon days. Within half an hour of his 
arrival at the Palace Prince Albert had gone through 
the ceremony of naturalization, and though not a 
"true-born Englishman," he had sworn allegiance as 
a leal and loyal subject of Her Majesty, Queen Vic- 
toria. There was a grand state dinner in the Bow 
room. 

In the afternoon the Queen and the Prince drove 
out in order that Prince Albert might pay his formal 
visits to the royal family. 

On this day the Queen mentions in her Journal 
that the Prince gave her, as his wedding gift, a beau- 
tiful sapphire and diamond brooch, and that she gave 
him the star and badge of the Garter, and the Garter 
itself set in diamonds. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 

Surely no apology is necessary for presenting a 
lengthy and detailed account of the marriage of Queen. 
Victoria to Prince Albert. It is one of the most 
romantic documents of the Queen's long, happy 
reign. It tells oT the dawn of the ideal romantic 
happiness of Her Majesty. Its value and importance 
will increase with the growing years. The Times 
devoted itself with singular interest to the publication 
of a record of the Royal Nuptials. Every effort was 
made to render that account accurate and complete 
in every detail. 

The Queen expressed her great satisfaction with 
the report of the Times, and gave evidence of her 
appreciation of it by instructing Lieut. -General, the 
Hon. C. Grey, to insert it as an Appendix to ''The 
Early Years of His Royal Highness, the Prince Con- 
sort," which he was editing under the Queen's 
direction. 

Eliminating certain features that are purely formal, 
we venture to compile from this favorite record a 
story of the greatest English Wedding of the Century. 

Prior to the wedding itself, a remarkable and novel 
ceremony was observed at Coburg. It could hardly 
be called a formal or informal wedding, for the bride- 
to-be was not present. It was a grand pageant, not- 
withstanding, as lords and nobles of high degree 
listened to a royal declaration of betrothal. 

158 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 159 

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL NOTICE OF THE CEREMONIAL 
TO BE OBSERVED IN MAKING THE DECLARATION, AND 
OF THE DECLARATION ITSELF. 

"Coburg, 8 Dec, 1839. 
"Divine service in the Court Chapel, at which the 
reigning duke and duchess, Prince Albert, the whole 
court, the states, the chief authorities of the duchy of 
Coburg and Gotha, and all persons belonging to the 
nobility, will be present at four o'clock. The court, 
and the persons on a visit to the duke, the ministers, 
etc., etc., all in full dress, will assemble in the large 
drawing-room — the ladies in the velvet room. They 
will then proceed to the throne-room, and take their 
several places ; and, when every thing is ready, the 
two chief officers of the court, the grand marshal and 
the master of the household, will proceed to the 
apartments of the Duke and Duchess, and conduct 
them, with Prince Albert, to the throne-room." Hav- 
ing all taken the seats appointed for them, "the 
minister of state will proclaim the happy event as 
follows : 

DECLARATION. 

"His serene highness, the reigning Duke of Saxe- 
Coburg and Gotha, our gracious Duke and master, 
fully convinced of the sincere interests his faithful 
subjects take in any events concerning H. S. H.'s 
house, finds it necessary to assemble the nobles of 
the land, as well as the chief authorities and persons 
in office, in order to communicate to them the most 
joyful news of the betrothal of his second son, H. S. 
H. Prince Albert, to Her Most Gracious Majesty the 
Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. 



160 THE ROYAL WEDDING. 

"H. S. H. feels the greatest satisfaction in express- 
ing at the same time his sincere conviction that, 
considering Her Majesty's noble qualities, both of 
heart and mind, his alliance will, under the protection 
of Divine Providence, prove a real happiness to his 
beloved son, who will henceforward devote his whole 
life to his new country, but who, though separated 
from his native land, will preserve his present feelings 
of attachment and affection." 



"As soon as the Proclamation shall have been made, 
the cannon of the fortress will announce the same to 
the town and country. 

"Prince Albert will then receive the congratulations 
of all present. 

"The ceremony being concluded, their serene high- 
nesses will proceed in procession to the Giant's Hall, 
where, having taken their seats, the chaplain will say 
grace. 

"In the course of the dinner, the Queen and Prince 
Albert's healths will be first drunk, then those of the 
duke and duchess. In the evening, Cherubini's opera, 
'Le Deux Journees,' will be performed." 

This was one of the most august functions ever 
observed at the Court of Coburg. There were nearly 
a hundred English nobles present, members for the 
most part of the Privy Council. Of all that goodly 
company, only two at the present writing survive. 

Celebration of Her Majesty's marriage with His 
Royal Highness Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and 
Gotha, 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 161 

February loth, 1840. 
This most important and national event took place 
at noon, at the Chapel Royal St. James's ; and since 
the marriage of Her Royal Highness, the late Princess 
Charlotte of Wales, there has been no occurrence con- 
nected with the royal family of England which excited 
so great an interest. Never did St. James's Park pre- 
sent such an extraordinary display — never was such 
an immense multitude assembled there since the re- 
joicings at the visit of the allied sovereigns in 1814. 
As early as nine o'clock considerable numbers had 
arrived in order to secure a good place from which to 
see the royal cortege pass from Buckingham Palace 
to St. James's. By that hour the vicinity of Bucking- 
ham Palace, and all the avenues leading to both pal- 
aces, were thronged. As the day wore on to noon, 
the assemblage between the back of Carlton Terrace 
and the foot of Constitution Hill had increased to a 
dense mass of very many thousands, through which 
it was difficult to keep open the carriage-way for that 
portion of the company who had the privilege of the 
entree. The very lowering aspect of the weather 
seemed to have no terrors for the visitors, male and 
female, young and old, who continued to arrive in 
masses, by which the space already described became, 
before eleven o'clock, thronged to most distressing 
pressure. Nor was this pressure diminished to any 
important extent by the smart showers which came 
down at intervals. As each successive group of vis- 
itors arrived, they of course thickened the broad line 
of crowd at each side of the carriage-way between the 
two palaces. Those whose stations were in the rear 
of this hne soon got an opportunity of over-looking 
u 



162 THE ROYAL WEDDING. 

those in front by hiring standing-room on some one 
of the many hundred chairs, tables, or benches, which 
were let out at various prices, from 35c to $1.25 each 
person. Many who could not afford, or would not 
pay for such a luxury, succeeded in getting on the 
branches of the trees as well out of as in the line of the 
expected procession. The numbers who sought these 
commanding positions were so great in some of the 
trees that the branches gave way, and the parties 
came, not immediately to the ground, but on the heads 
and shoulders of the dense masses beneath them. 

Many of them excited roars of laughter, from the 
efforts of those who had resorted to them to keep 
their places on the falling branches, or to secure more 
firm positions on the boughs above them. In the 
course of the morning the crowds in that part of the 
Park situate between the back of Carlton Terrace and 
Marlborough House were much amused by a marrow- 
bone and cleaver concert, got up in honor of the royal 
nuptials, and we must do justice to those engaged by 
saying that the effect of this rude music was by no 
means disagreeable. Soon after the firing of the guns, 
announcing the most important part of the ceremonial, 
the placing the ring on her Majesty's finger, the whole 
mass of the visitors who had not obtained fixed 
stands rushed almost simultaneously toward Bucking- 
ham Palace, in order to have a view of her Majesty 
and the Prince on their return. The pressure here 
became so great that it required the united and inces- 
sant efforts of the police and the Horse Guards Blue 
to keep the carriage-way open. 

The officers of the household and the attendants on 
her Majesty began to arrive at Buckingham Palace 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 163 

about half past ten o'clock. The Earl of Uxbridge, 
the Earl of Belfast, the Earl of Surrey, the Earl of 
Albemarle, Colonel Cavendish, Lord Alfred Paget, Sir 
George Anson, the lord in waiting, ladies in waiting, 
maids of honor, bedchamber women, gentlemen ush- 
ers, etc., were all assembled at eleven o'clock. After 
some little time had elapsed, the ladies of Her Majes- 
ty's suite were summoned by the master of the horse, 
and handed into four of the royal carriages by Colonel 
Cavendish (clerk marshal) and Lord Alfred Paget, 
and dispatched to St. James's Palace. 

At half past eleven the six gentlemen composing 
the foreign suites of His Royal Highness Prince Al- 
bert and the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha mustered 
in the grand hall. They appeared in dark blue or green 
uniforms, and three of them took their departure in a 
royal carriage for St. James's, accompanied by two 
gentlemen ushers of the Queen's household, to be in 
readiness to receive Prince Albert. 

At a quarter to twelve, the royal carriages having 
returned, notice was given to the royal bridegroom 
that all was in readiness for his departure. The Prince 
immediately quitted the private apartments of the 
palace, and passed through the state rooms, into which 
a very few spectators were admitted. His Royal High- 
ness was dressed in the uniform of a British field- 
marshal, and wore no other decoration than the in- 
signia of the Order of the Garter, viz., the collar, with 
the George appended, set in precious stones, the star 
of the order set in diamonds, and the Garter itself, em- 
broidered in diamonds, round his knee. The Prince 
was supported on one side by his father, the Duke 
of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and his brother, the hereditary 



164 THE ROYAL WEDDING. 

prince. The duke was dressed in a dark green uni- 
form, turned up with red, with military boots similar 
to those worn by the Life Guards. His serene high- 
ness wore the collar of the Order of the Garter, and 
the Star, and the Star of the Order of Coburg-Gotha. 
Prince Ernest wore a light blue cavalry uniform, with 
silver appointments, carrying a light helmet in his 
hand. His serene highness wore the insignia of a 
Grand Cross of an Order of Knighthood. His Royal 
Higness Prince Albert was preceded by the lord 
chamberlain, the vice-chamberlain, the treasurer and 
controller of the household. Lord Torrington (who 
wore the insignia of a Grand Cross of the Order of 
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, with which he had been lately 
invested), the clerk marshal, equerries, gentlemen 
ushers, etc., the remaining portion of the foreign suite 
bringing up the rear. On descending the grand stair- 
case, the favored few occupying the grand hall behind 
the Yeoman Guard received the Prince with a loud 
clapping of hands, which His Royal Highness acknowl- 
edged in the most gracious manner. Indeed, to a 
group of ladies stationed close to the entrance, who 
were testifying their satisfaction, the Prince made his 
acknowledgments with an air of the most courteous 
gallantry. The Prince entered the carriage amid the 
sound of trumpets, the lowering of colors, the pre- 
senting of arms, and all the honors paid to the Queen 
herself. His Royal Highness, with his father and 
brother, occupied one carriage, and the attendants 
two other royal carriages. A squadron of Life Guards 
escorted the Prince to St. James's Palace. On the 
return of the lord chamberlain six of the royal car- 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 165 

riages were assembled, and his lordship informe,d Her 
Majesty that all was ready. 

The Queen then left her apartment, leaning on the 
arm of the Earl of Uxbridge as lord chamberlain, sup- 
ported by the Duchess of Kent, and followed by a 
page of honor. Her Majesty was preceded by the 
Earl of Belfast, the Earl of Surrey, Lord Torrington, 
the Earl of Albemarle, Colonel Cavendish, Sir George 
Anson, Lord Alfred Paget, Mr. Byng, and several 
other officers of the household. Her Majesty car- 
ried her train over her arm. 

The royal bride was greeted with loud acclamations 
on descending to the grand hall, but her eye was bent 
principally on the ground, and a hurried glance 
around^ and a slight inclination of the head, was all 
the acknowledgment returned. Her Majesty wore 
no diamonds on her head, nothing but a simple wreath 
of orange-blossoms. The magnificent veil did not 
cover her face, but hung down on each shoulder. A 
pair of very large diamond earrings, a diamond neck- 
lace, and the insignia of the Order of the Garter, were 
the principal ornaments worn by the Queen. 

The Duchess of Kent and the Duchess of Suther- 
land rode in the same carriage with Her Majesty, and 
the royal cortege left the Palace at a slow pace, under 
a strong escort of the Household Cavalry. 

This morning, at an early hour, every public ap- 
proach to the Palace was crowded by numbers of Her 
Majesty's loyal subjects, anxious to obtain, if possible, 
a view of the bridal procession, and testify by their 
vociferous applause their perfect commendation of 
Her Majesty's choice of a Royal Consort. The court in 
front of the Palace was occupied by the band of the 



166 THE ROYAL WEDDING. 

Regiment of Blues, and. one or two companies of the 
Grenadier Guards, and the whole of the line thence to 
the garden-entrance of St. Jam.es's Palace was lined 
with Horse Guards and a strong corps of the police. 
The immediate road for the procession was kept clear 
with great difficulty, so numerous were the attempts 
from the pressure without to break in on the line, and 
secure a position where a sight of the royal oair 
might be better had. The police, however, notwith- 
standing these ebullitions of "popular feeling," con- 
ducted themselves with great temper, and maintained 
order without any violent exercise of their supreme 
authority. Anxiously did the assembled multitude 
look for some signal of Her Majesty's departure from 
Buckingham Palace, and as carriage after carriage 
rolled down the Mall, carrying some of the honored 
spectators to the chapel, the more impatient they be- 
came for the passing of the procession. 

Twelve o'clock at length arrived, and His Royal 
Highness Prince Albert, attended by a small escort 
of Horse Guards, and accompanied by his father, the 
Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and his brother, the 
hereditary prince, then left the Palace and proceeded 
to St. James's ; but, from the windows of the carriages 
being closed, the royal party were only partially 
recognized, and passed along with but slight applause. 
At a quarter past twelve, however, the band in front 
of the Palace struck up the national air of "God Save 
the Queen," and by the tremendous shouts which re- 
sounded through the Park, it was proclaimed that 
Her Majesty had entered her carriage and was then 
proceeding to St, James's to plight her troth to His 
Royal Highness Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 167 

Gotha. As Her Majesty passed down the line she was 
most enthusiastically cheered, and appeared highly 
gratified by the loyalty which her subjects expressed, 
one or two ludicrous incidents among the crowd also 
exciting her smile ;but her countenance was extremely 
pale, and appeared to betoken considerable anxiety. 
The cortege of Her Majesty was attended by a full 
guard of honor, but the carriages were drawn by only 
two horses each, and without the rich caparison which 
they usually wear on state occasions. The order of 
the carriages was thus : 

FIRST CARRIAGE. 

Two Gentlemen Ushers. 

Exon of the Yeomen of the Guard. 

Groom of the Robes. 

SECOND CARRIAGE. 

Equerry in Waiting, Hon. C. Grey. 

Two Pages of Honor. 

Groom in Waiting, Hon. Major Keppel. 

THIRD CARRIAGE. 

Clerk Marshal, Hon. H. F. Cavendish. 

Vice-Chamberlain, Earl of Belfast. 

Keeper of the Privy Purse, Sir H. Wheatley. 

Controller of the Household, Right Hon. G. Stevens Byng. 

FOURTH CARRIAGE. 

Bedchamber Woman in Waiting. 

Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard, Earl of Ilchester. 

Master of the Buckhounds, Lord Kinnaird. 

Treasurer of the Household, Earl of Surrey. 

FIFTH CARRIAGE. 

Maid of Honor in Waiting. 

Duchess of Kent's Lady in Waiting, Lady Charlotte Dundas. 

Gold Stick, Lord Hill. 

Lord in Waiting, Viscount Torrington. 



168 THE ROYAL WEDDING. 

SIXTH CARRIAGE. 

Lady of the Bedchamber in Waiting. 

Master of the Horse, Earl of Albemarle. 

Lord Steward, Earl of Errol. 

Lord Chamberlain, Earl of Uxbridge. 

SEVENTH CARRIAGE. 

THE QUEEN. 

The Duchess of Kent. 

Mistress of the Robes, Duchess of Sutherland. 

By about ten minutes past twelve o'clock the whole 
of these carriages, with their respective occupants, had 
reached St. James's Palace. 

On the arrival of the Queen at St. James's Palace, 
Her Majesty was conducted to her closet, immediately 
behind the throne-room, where she remained attended 
by the maids of honor and trainbearers until the sum- 
mons was received from tlie lord chamberlain, con- 
veying the intimation that everything was duly pre- 
pared for the Sovereign's moving toward the Chapel. 

In this room the formal procession may be said to 
have been formed and marshaled. 

In the Presence Chamber the principal individuals 
who were to fall into the dififerent processions were 
congregated. Round the southern side of the Queen 
Anne's drawing-room a gallery was erected, consist- 
ing of several rows of seats^ each capable of accom- 
modating a considerable number of visitors. Through 
this room the procession passed into the Guard or 
Armory-room, in which a gallery on a smaller scale 
was raised. The procession progressed from this into 
the vestibule, and from that down the grand staircase, 
opposite to which a gallery had been put up capable of 
containing about 150 persons. 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 169 

Shortly after nine o'clock the seats in the colonnade 
began to be taken possession of, and ere many min- 
utes had elapsed there remained but few of the seats 
unoccupied, although there was an occasional arrival 
down to eleven o'clock. 

At this hour the appearance which the scene pre- 
sented was one of extreme animation, inasmuch as by 
far the greater portion of the assembled company was 
composed of elegantly, and, in some instances, bril- 
Hantly dressed ladies. It were a matter of impossi- 
bility to enter upon an attempt to give anything like 
a minute detail of the attire either of the one sex or of 
the other, for it comprised every known color, and 
embraced every description of style of make. The 
most conspicuous dresses were of light blue relieved 
with white, light green also intermingled with white, 
amber, crimson, purple, fawn, stone, and a consider- 
able number of white robes only. Every lady exhib- 
ited a wedding favor, some of which were admirable 
specimens of a refined taste. They were of all sizes, 
many of white satin ribbon tied up into bows, and 
mixed with layers of rich silver lace, others merely of 
ribbon intermixed with sprigs of orange-flower-blos- 
som, while were here and there to be seen bouquets 
of huge dimensions of ribbon and massive silver bul- 
lion, having in their center what might almost be 
termed a branch of orange-blossoms. Large as they 
were, however, they were not more so that the appar- 
ent devotion of their owners, if the anxiety with which 
they watched every movement of the officials passing 
to and fro, from the instant they entered the colonnade 
until the last of the "men of state" had quitted the 
scene, may be taken as a criterion. 



170 THE ROYAL WEDDING. 

It was remarkable that "favors" did not form a very 
general appendage with the male branch of the spec- 
tators, notwithstanding there were many who had not 
failed to furnish themselves with this distinguishing 
emblem of the occasion. Some gentlemen there were, 
also, who did not even pay the respect to their Sover- 
eign of providing court dresses. There appeared, nev- 
ertheless, to have been a unanimity of feeling with 
regard to the total banishment of black, except in a 
rare instance where a shawl or scarf of that hue was 
to be discovered. 

The colonnade through which the procession passed 
to the Chapel was not only excellently arranged, but 
was admirably lighted from the lanterns above and 
the windows behind. The seats, which were separated 
from the pillared colonnade by a dwarf railing, were 
covered with crimson cushions with gold-colored bor- 
ders and fringe. All the remainder of this temporary 
structure had the semblance of having been con- 
structed of solid masonry. The floor of the colonnade 
was covered with rich Brussels carpet, which extended 
into the vestibule, up the grand staircase to the arm- 
ory, through the presence-chamber to Queen Anne's 
drawing-room, and thence to the ante-chamber and 
throne-room, where Her Majesty and Prince Albert's 
portions of the procession were marshaled. The seats 
erected for the accommodation of the spectators were 
covered with crimson cushions and yellow fringe, thus 
sustaining uniformity throughout. They were railed 
o& from the line of procession. 

There were but few of the nobility or ofificers of 
state who entered the Chapel by the colonnade or 
royal passage, but among that number were Earl 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 171 

Fitzwilliam and Earl Spencer, the Earl and Countess 
of Carlisle, the Duke and Duchess of Somerset, the 
Duke of Devonshire, the Marquis of Anglesey, the 
Marquis of Westminster, the Archbishop of Canter- 
bury, the Archbishop of York, and the Bishop of 
London. 

His Grace the Duke of Wellington also passed 
through the colonnade, and was most warmly cheered. 
The duke slightly acknowledged the demonstration, 
and wended his way onward to the place allotted for 
the occupation of the veteran warrior in the Chapel. 

But, looking at the mass which paraded the colon- 
nade, we may say that there were the burly Yeomen 
of the Guard with their massive halberts, and the slim 
gentlemen-at-arms with their lighter partisans, per- 
petually moving up and down the corridor, proud of 
the notice they excited. There were also elderly 
pages of state, and almost infantile pages of honor, 
officers of the lord chamberlain's office, and officers 
of the woods and forests, embroidered heralds and 
steel-clad curassiers, robed prelates^ stoled priests, and 
surpliced singing-boys, to break the uniformity and 
vary the monotony of the scene. 

THE CHAPEL. 

The principal entrances to the Chapel Royal were 
from the Ambassador's Court, and the color quad- 
rangle opposite St. James's Street. The interior is 
oblong, standing east and west, about sixty-two feet 
in length and twenty-five in breadth. At the upper 
or eastern end is the communion-table, and at the 
lower end, abutting over the main entrance, is the 
royal gallery or closet. Two galleries supported by 



172 THE ROYAL WEDDING. 

cast-iron pillars stretched east and west the entire 
length of the Chapel. On the floor, placed longitud- 
inally, were two pews on each side of the chapel, set 
apart for the chief nobility, and those who took part 
in the procession. The galleries east and west, from 
both sides of the altar to the royal closet, were occu- 
pied — the upper end, on the right, by the cabinet min- 
isters and their ladies, on the left by the ladies and 
officers of Her Majesty's household. Below the choir, 
on the right, and in the galleries opposite, usually 
appropriated as royal closets, the walls of the build- 
ing were thrown out, and six benches on each side 
fitted up for the accommodation of peers, peeresses, 
and other distinguished spectators. The royal closet 
was assigned to the Ambassadors and their ladies, five 
rows of seats, elevated one above the other, having 
been erected for their accommodation. The whole of 
the seats in the chapel were stufifed, covered with 
crimson cloth, and elegantly ornamented with gold 
fringe. On the communion-table was displayed a vast 
quantity of golden plate, including six salvors, one 
of gigantic dimensions, two ponderous and rich vases, 
four flagons, four communion-cups, and two lofty and 
magnificent candelabra. The cornice above the altar, 
of beautifully carved oak, was richly gilt, superb crim- 
son velvet drapery depending from it in graceful folds 
upon the communion-table. Within the railing, which 
was also covered with crimson velvet, stools were 
placed on the right of the altar for the Archbishops of 
Canterbury and York, and on the left for the Bishop 
of London, dean of the Chapel Royal. In front of the 
communion-table were placed four chairs of state, 
gilt, and covered with crimson silk velvet, each of dif- 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 173 

ferent construction, and varying in elevation, accord- 
ing to the dignity of their intended occupants. The 
highest, largest in size, and most costly in workman- 
ship, was of course appropriated to Her Majesty, and 
was placed somewhat to the right of the center; that 
on the opposite side, immediately on Her Majesty's 
right hand, being set apart for His Royal Highness 
Prince Albert. Before these chairs, which were 
placed about six feet outside the rail, footstools were 
set of corresponding structure and decoration. There 
were also fald-stools for Her Majesty and Prince Al- 
bert, on which to kneel at the altar. On Her Majesty's 
left a chair was placed for the Duchess of Kent ; and 
at the opposite side, on Prince Albert's right, one for 
the Queen Dowager. On Her Majesty's extreme left 
were seats for their royal highnesses the Dukes of 
Sussex and Cambridge ; and on Prince Albert's ex- 
treme right for his serene highness the reigning Duke 
of Saxe-Coburg, the hereditary duke, and their royal 
highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George 
of Cambridge, Princess Augusta and Princess Mary 
of Cambridge. The floor of the Chapel was covered 
with rich purple and gold carpeting, the prominent 
figure being the Norman rose. The tout ensemble, 
both as concerns the extension, decoration, and entire 
arrangements of the interior, completely harmonized 
with the original design and structure of the chapel; 
simplicity and elegance, not show or gaudiness, being 
the uniform characteristic. The ceiling is composed 
of antique fretwork compartments varying in size and 
figure, on the paneling of which are emblazoned the 
quarterings and heraldic distinctions of the different 
members of the royal family, from the time of its 



174 THE ROYAL WEDDING. 

erection to that of his late majesty William IV. and 
Queen Adelaide. 

About half past eleven o'clock the Archbishops of 
Canterbury and York and the Bishop of London took 
their places within the altar. 

A few minutes before twelve the Queen Dowager 
entered the Chapel Royal through the dean's vestry 
door, and took her seat near the altar. Her Majesty 
was arrayed in a robe of rich silk purple velvet 
trimmed with ermine. The Archbishops of Canter- 
bury and York and the Bishop of London immedi- 
ately rose 3n the entrance of Her Majesty. Her 
Majesty, after performing her private devotions, per- 
ceiving the most reverend prelates still standing, sent 
Lord Howe, who was in waiting, to desire that they 
might take their seats. This act of considerate cour- 
tesy created a general sensation throughout the 
Chapel. 

A flourish of trumpets and drums at twenty-five 
minutes past twelve o'clock gave intimation that the 
procession of the royal bridegroom had commenced 
its movement, and shortly after, having passed 
through the various rooms to which we have alluded, 
it entered the colonnade in the following order : 

THE PROCESSION OF THE BRIDEGROOM. 

Drums and Trumpets. 

Sergeant Trumpeter, J. Rivett, Esq. 

Master of the Ceremonies, Sir Robert Chester, Knight. 

The Bridegroom's Gentlemen of Honor, between two Heralds. 

Vice-Chamberlain of Her Lord Chamberlain of Her 

Majesty's Household, Majesty's Household, 

Earl of Belfast. Earl of Uxbridge. 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 175 

THE BRIDEGROOM, 

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS FIELD-MARSHAL PRINCE ALBERT, K. G., 

wearing the Collar of the Order of the Garter, 

supported by their Serene Highnesses the reigning Duke of 

Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 

and the Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 

each attended by the officers of their suite, namely, 

Count Kolowrath, Baron Alvensleben, and Baron de 

Lowenfels. 

As the Prince moved along he was greeted with 
loud clapping of hands from the gentlemen, and en- 
thusiastic waving of handkerchiefs from the assem- 
bled ladies. He wore the uniform of a field-marshal 
in the British army. Over his shoulder was hung 
the Collar of the Garter surmounted by two white ro- 
settes. His appearance was attractive and much im- 
proved since his arrival on Saturday; and with his 
pale and pensive looks he won golden opinions from 
the fair coterie near which we were sitting. His father 
and his brother were also welcomed with the utmost 
cordiality. Both seemed pleased with their reception, 
and the hereditary prince, who has more of determi- 
nation but less of good-natured complaisance in his 
countenance than his brother, testified his sense of it 
by repeatedly bowing his thanks to the fair ladies at 
his side. 

On reaching the Chapel Royal the drums and trum- 
pets filed off without the doors, and, the procession 
advancing, His Royal Highness was conducted to the 
seat provided for him on the left of the altar. His 
Royal Highness walked up the aisle, carrying a book 
in his right hand, and repeatedly bowed to the peers 
in the body of the Chapel. His form, dress, and de- 



176 THE ROYAL WEDDING. 

meaner were much admired. It might well be said of 
him in the language of Scott, 

"Shaped in proportion fair, 
Hazel was his eagle eye, 
And auburn of the darkest dye 
His short mustache and hair." 

Having reached the haut pas, His Royal Highness 
affectionately kissed the hand of the Queen Dowager, 
and then bowed to the archbishops and dean. Im- 
mediately on his entrance a voluntary was performed 
by Sir George Smart on the organ. The master of 
the ceremonies and the officers of the bridegroom 
stood near the person of His Royal Highness. The 
lord chamberlain and vice-chamberlain, preceded by 
the drums and trumpets, then returned to wait upon 
Her Majesty, 

Meanwhile His Royal Highness entered into close 
conversation with the Queen Dowager until the trum- 
pets and drums announced the moving of the Queen's 
procession. 

After having conducted the royal Prince to the altar, 
the lord steward and the lord chamberlain quitted the 
royal bridegroom for the purpose of conducting the 
Queen to the altar. In a few minutes, that which was 
denominated the Queen's procession was announced 
by a flourish of trumpets and drums as having been 
put in motion. The procession passed through the 
colonnade up to the Chapel doors in the subjoined 
order : 

THE queen's procession. 

Drums and Trumpets. 

Sergeant Trumpeter, T. L. Parker, Esq. 

Knight Marshal, Sir Charles Lamb, Bart. 




PRINCE OF WALES IN CITIZEN'S DRESS. 




STORY'S CELEBRATED PORTRAIT OF THE PRINCE OF WALES. 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 177 

Pursuivants. 
Heralds. 
Pages of Honor. 
Equerry in Waiting, Clerk Marshal, 

Hon. Charles Grey. Hon. H. F. Cavendish. 

Groom in Waiting, Lord in Waiting, 

Hon. Major Keppel. Viscount Torrington. 

Controller of Her Majesty's Treasurer of Her Majesty's 
Household, Household, 

Right Hon. G. Stevens Byng. Earl of Surrey. 

The Lord Steward of Her Majesty's Household. 
Earl of Erroll. 
Norroy King-of-Arms, Clarencieux King-of-Arms, 

F. Martin, Esq. J. Hawker, Esq. 

Lord Privy Seal, Lord President of the Council, 

The Earl of Clarendon. Marquis of Lansdowne. 

Two Sergeant-at-Arms. Two Sergeant-at-Arms. 

Lord High Chancellor, Lord Cottenham. 
Senior Gentleman Usher Quarterly Waiter, Hon. Heneage 

Legge. 
Gentleman Usher Daily Waiter, Gentleman Usher of the 

and to the Sword of State, Black Rod, 

W. Martin, Esq. Sir Augustus Clifford. 

Garter King-of-Arms, Sir W. Woods. 

The Earl Marshal, Duke of Norfolk. 

Her Highness the Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester. 

Her Royal Highness Princess Mary of Cambridge. 

Her Royal Highness Princess Augusta of Cambridge. 

His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge. 

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge. 

attended by Miss Kerr, Lady of the Bedchamber to Her Royal 

Highness. 

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, 

attended by Lady Charlotte Dundas, Lady of the Bedchamber 

to Her Royal Highness. 

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester, 

attended by Lady Caroline Legge, Lady of the Bedchamber 

to Her Royal Highness. 

Her Royal Highness the Princess Augusta, 

12 



178 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 



attended by Lady Mary Pelham, Lady of the Bedchamber to 

Her Royal Highness. 

His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, 

His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, 

each attended by a gentleman of their Royal Highnesses' 

household. 

The Sword of State, 

borne by Lord 
Viscount Melbourne. 



Vice-Chamberlain 
of Her Majesty's 
Household, 
Earl of Belfast. 



Lord Chamberlain 
of Her Majesty's 

Household, 
Earl of Uxbridge. 



THE QUEEN, 

wearing the Collars of her Orders. 

Her Majesty's train borne by the following twelve unmarried 

ladies, viz. 



Lady Adelaide Paget, 

Lady Sarah Frederica Caro- 
line Villiers, 

Lady Frances Elizabeth Cow- 
per, 

Lady Elizabeth West, 

Lady Mary Augusta Freder- 
ica Grimston, 



Lady Caroline Amelia Gordon 

Lennox. 
Lady Elizabeth Anne Georgi- 

ana Dorothea Howard, 
Lady Ida Hay, 
Lady Catharine Lucy Wilhel- 

mina Stanhope, 
Lady Jane Harriet Bouverie, 



Lady Eleanor Caroline Paget, 

Lady Mary Charlotte Howard, 
assisted by Captain F. H. Seymour, the Groom of the Robes. 

Master of the Horse, Mistress of the Robes, 

The Earl of Albemarle, G.C.H. The Duchess of Sutherland. 

Ladies of the Bedchamber : 
The Marchioness of Nor- The Lady Portman. 



manby. 
The Countess of Charlemont. 
The Dowager Lady Lyttelton. 



The Duchess of Bedford. 
The Countess of Sandwich. 
The Countess of Burlington. 
The Lady Barham. 
Maids of Honor : 
The Hon. Harriet Pitt. The Hon. Harriet Lister. 

The Hon. Amelia Murray. The Hon. Caroline Cocks. 
The Hon. Henrietta Anson. The Hon. Matilda Paget. 
The Hon. Sarah Mary Cavendish. 
Women of the Bedchamber : 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 179 

Lady Harriet Clive. Viscountess Forbes. 

Lady Charlotte Copley. Lady Caroline Harrington. 

Mrs. Brand. The Hon. Mrs. Campbell. Lady Gardner. 

Captain of the Yeomen Captain of the Band of 

of the Guard, Gold Stick, Gentlemen-at-Arms, 

Earl of Ilchester. Lord Hill. Lord Foley. 

Keeper of the Privy Purse, Sir Henry Wheatley. 

Six Gentlemen-at-Arms. 
Six Yeomen of the Guard closed the procession. 

It will be seen from this official programme how the 
hefalds had marshaled the different members of the 
procession. Scarcely any notice was taken of the indi- 
viduals who led the way in it until the lord chancellor 
made his appearance. He was greeted with a few 
scanty cheers. Garter King-of-Arms, with all his her- 
aldic pomp and pride, and the head of his college, the 
Earl Marshal the Duke of Norfolk, with all the blood 
of all the Howards, passed unnoticed in the throng. 
Her Royal Highness the Princess Sophia of Glouces- 
ter, who stopped to address Sir G. Murray as she 
passed, was cheered. The Princess Augusta of Cam- 
bridge excited general admiration by her affability and 
beauty. Her royal aunt the Princess Augusta was 
cheered. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Glou- 
cester, whose name appears in the official details of 
the ceremony, was prevented from being present in 
consequence of her having been confined by a severe 
cold to her house for the last fortnight, and of her not 
yet being sufficiently recovered to encounter the fa- 
tigue of a considerable procession at so early an 
hour. 

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge led 
her young daughter the Princess Mary by the hand, 
and the mother of so beautiful a child was certain 



180 THE ROYAL WEDDING. 

not to be seen without interest. Every sympathy 
was awakened on behalf of Her Royal Highness the 
Duchess of Kent ; but she appeared somewhat discon- 
solate and distressed. His Royal Highness the Duke 
of Sussex, who was to give away the royal bride, 
seemed in excellent spirits. Lord Melbourne carried 
the sword of state; but little attention was paid to 
him. 

Her Majesty came next, looking anxious and 
excited. She was paler even than usual. Her dress 
was a rich white satin trimmed with orange-flower 
blossoms. On her head she wore a wreath of the same 
blossoms, over which, but not so as to conceal her 
face, a beautiful veil of Honiton lace was thrown. Her 
bridesmaids and trainbearers were similarly attired, 
save that they had no veils. Her Majesty wore the 
collar of the Garter, but no other diamonds or jewels. 
Her attendants were arrayed with similar simplicity ; 
and ladies more beautiful never graced palace, hall, or 
country-green. With one exception, which we have 
already remarked, the praises which Dryden has 
ascribed to the companions of his Queen in the 
"Flower and the Leaf" are equally applicable to these 
attendants of our young and amiable sovereign : 

"A train less fair, as ancient fathers tell, 
Seduced the sons of Heaven to rebel ; 
I pass their form, and every charming grace — 
Less than an angel v^^ould their worth debase; 
But their attire, like liveries of a kind, 
Simple, but rich, is fresh within my mind ; 
In satin white as snow the troop was gown'd, 
The seams with sparkling emeralds set around." 

Every face was turned upon them and their royal mis- 
tress. Theirs was fixed upon hers, and as they moved 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 181 

and turned in conformity with her steps, it was evi- 
dent that female vanity was for a time deadened in 
their bosoms, and that they were thinking, not of the 
impression which they themselves created, but of that 
which was created by the royal bride. They were 
followed by the Duchess of Sutherland. Of the ladies 
of the bedchamber and the maids of honor we have 
only to say that they did honor to the court and to 
their places in the procession. It was closed, not as 
the official statement announced, by six Yeomen of 
the Guard, but by two officers in polished cuirasses 
and in dirty boots, who commanded the squadron of 
Life Guards on duty at the Palace. 

As Her Majesty approached the Chapel, the national 
anthem was performed by the instrumental band. Her 
Majesty walked up the aisle, followed by her train- 
bearers and attendants without noticing or bowing to 
any of the peers. On reaching the haut pas Her 
Majesty knelt on her footstool, and having performed 
her private devotions, sat down in her chair of state. 
The different officers of state having now taken their 
seats in the body of the Chapel, the coup d'oeil was 
splendid beyond description. 

Lords, ladies, captains, councilors, and priests, 

Their choice nobility and flower ; embassies 

From regions far remote 

In various habits 

Met from all parts to celebrate the day. 

After the lapse of a few seconds Her Majesty rose and 
advanced with His Royal Highness Prince Albert to 
the communion-table, where the Archbishop of Can- 
terbury immediately commenced reading the service. 
The rubric was rigidly adhered to throughout. 



182 THE ROYAL WEDDING. 

The Archbishop of Canterbury read the service with 
great appropriateness and mtich feeling-, the Bishop of 
London repeating the responses. 

When His Grace came to the words, 

"Albert, wilt thou have this woman to be thy 
wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance 
in the holy estate of matrimony ? Wilt thou love her, 
comfort her, honor, and keep her in sickness and in 
health; and forsaking all other, keep thee only unto 
her, so long as ye both shall live ?" 

His Royal Highness, in a firm tone, replied, "I 
will." 

And when he said, "Victoria, wilt thou have Albert 
to thy wedded husband, to live together after God's 
ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony ? Wilt thou 
obey him, and serve him, love, honor, and keep in 
sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep 
thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?" 

Her Majesty, in a firm voice, and a tone audible in 
all parts of the Chapel, repHed, "I will." 

The Archbishop of Canterbury then said, "Who giv- 
eth this woman to be married to this man ?" 

His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, who occu- 
pied a seat on the left of Her Majesty, now advanced, 
and, taking Her Majesty's hand, said, "I do." 

The Archbishop of Canterbury then laid hold of Her 
Majesty's hand, and pressing it in that of Prince 
Albert's,, pronounced these words, His Royal High- 
ness repeating them after His Grace : 

"I, Albert, take thee, Victoria, to be my wedded 
wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for 
better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and 
in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 183 

according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I 
pHght thee my troth." 

Her Majesty repeated the words mutatis mutandis, 
"I, Victoria, take thee, Albert, to my wedded husband, 
to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better 
for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in 
health, to love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do 
part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I 
give thee my troth." 

The Archbishop of Canterbury then took the ring, 
a plain gold ring, from His Royal Highness, and plac- 
ing it to the fourth finger of Her Majesty, returned it 
to His Royal Highness. Prince Albert put it on, 
repeating after His Grace these words: "With this 
ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and 
with all my worldly goods I thee endow ; in the name 
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 
Amen." 

The Archbishop then concluded the service as fol- 
lows. Her Majesty and Prince Albert still remaining 
standing at the altar : 

"O Eternal God, Creator and Preserver of all man- 
kind, Giver of all spiritual grace, the Author of ever- 
lasting Hfe, send thy blessing upon these thy servants, 
Victoria and Albert, whom we bless in thy name ; that 
as Isaac and Rebecca lived faithfully together, so these 
persons may surely perform and keep the vow and 
covenant betwixt them made (whereof this ring given 
and received is a token and pledge), and may ever 
remain in perfect love and peace together, and live 
according to thy laws, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 



184 THE ROYAL WEDDING. 

"Those whom God hath joined together let no man 
put asunder." 

The Park and Tower guns then fired a royal salute. 

The Archbishop of Canterbury then proceeded: 

"Forasmuch as Albert and Victoria have consented 
-together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same 
before God and this company, and thereto have given 
and pledged their troth either to other, and have 
declared the same by giving and receiving of a ring, 
and by joining of hands, I pronounce that they be man 
and wife together. In the name of the Father, and of 
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. 

"God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy 
Ghost, bless^ preserve, and keep you; the Lord merci- 
fully with his favor look upon you ; and so fill you with 
all spiritual benediction and grace, that ye may so live 
together in this life, that in the world to come ye may 
have life everlasting. Amen." 

The choir then performed the Deus Misereatur 
(King's in B flat), the verse parts being doubled by the 
choir and sung by Messrs. Knyvett, Wylde, Neil, 
Vaughan, Sale, and Bradbury, on the decani side ; and 
on the cantoris, by Evans, Salmon, Horncastle, Rob- 
erts, Welsh, and Clarke. 

Sir George Smart presided at the organ. 

It is but justice to the gentlemen of the Chapel 
Royal to state that this service was executed in the 
most effective and spirit-stirring manner. 

The Archbishop of Canterbury then proceeded : 

"Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy 
name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in 
earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 185 

them that trespass against us. And lead us not into 
temptation, but dehver us from evil. Amen. 

"Minister. O Lord, save thy servant and thy hand- 
maid: 

"Answer. Who put their trust in thee. 

"Minister. O Lord, send them help from thy holy 
place : 

"Answer. And evermore defend them. 

"Minister. Be unto them a tower of strength 

"Answer. From the face of their enemy. 

"Minister. O Lord, hear our prayer, 

"Answer. And let our cry come unto thee. 

"Minister. O God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God 
of Jacob, bless these thy servants, and sow the seed of 
eternal life in their hearts; that whatsoever in thy 
Holy Word they shall profitably learn, they may in 
deed fulfill the same. Look, O Lord, mercifully upon 
them from heaven and bless them. And as thou didst 
send thy blessing upon Abraham and Sarah, to their 
great comfort, so vouchsafe to send thy blessing upon 
these thy servants; that they, obeying thy will, and 
always being in safety under thy protection, may abide 
in thy love unto their lives' end ; through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen." 

The Archbishop of Canterbury proceeded to 
the end with the remainder of the service as prescribed 
in the Book of Common Prayer, Her Majesty and 
Prince Albert still standing before the communion- 
table. 

The service having concluded, the several members 
of the royal family who had occupied places around 
the altar returned to take their positions in the pro- 
cession. On passing Her Majesty, they all paid their 



186 THE ROYAL WEDDING. 

congratulations, and the Duke of Sussex, after shak- 
ing her by the hand in manner which appeared to have 
little ceremony, but with cordiality in it, affectionately 
kissed her cheek. After all had passed with the excep- 
tion of the royal bride and bridegroom, Her Majesty 
stepped hastily across to the other side of the altar, 
where the Queen Dowager was standing, and kissed 
her. 

Prince Albert then took Her Majesty's hand, and 
the royal pair left the Chapel, all the spectators stand- 
ing. 

While the procession was proceeding down the 
aisle. Her Majesty spoke frequently to the Earl of 
Uxbridge, who was on her right hand, apparently 
giving directions as to the order of the procession. 

We have found it impossible, in our short descrip- 
tion, to do justice either to the demeanor of the 
"happy, happy pair," which was firm, self-possessed, 
and dignified throughout, or to the various groups 
who gave interest and anim^ation to the scene. The 
spectacle in the Chapel, from first to last, was gor- 
geous in the extreme, 

"The minister was alight that day, but not with fire, I ween, 
And long-drawn glitterings swept adown that mighty 

aisled scene; 
The priests stood stoled in their pomp, the sworded chiefs 

in theirs; 
And so, the collared knights; and so, the civil Ministers; 
And so, the waiting lords and datnes, and little pages best 
At holding trains; and legates so, from countries east and 

west; 
So alien Princes, native peers, and high-born ladies 

bright." E. B. Browning. 

giving lustre and brilliancy to the whole. 



THE ROYAL WEDDING, 187 

Among the various excellent arrangements con- 
nected with the celebration of Her Majesty's marriage, 
we heard with some astonishment and regret that the 
gentlemen of the Chapel Royal, who were obliged to 
sustain no unimportant part in the solemnization, did 
so, for the first time on such an occasion, not only 
without receiving any remuneration for their trouble, 
but without even a pair of gloves, a rosette, or any 
other favor being allowed them. 

RETURN FROM THE CHAPEL ROYAL. 

The deep interest taken by the spectators in the col- 
onnade in the proceedings of the day was shown by 
the general silence which prevailed unto the period of 
the Queen's approach. As soon as she had passed into 
the Chapel every tongue seemed set at liberty, and a 
confused murmur arose, which compelled the attend- 
ants to close the doors of the ante-chapel, lest it should 
penetrate into the Chapel where the solemn rites of 
religion were performing. A word, however, from one 
of the officers of the lord chamberlain was sufficient 
to put an end to this impropriety. The doors were 
again opened, the music of the anthem was faintly 
heard, the signal guns ceased to fire, and at a few min- 
utes past one the procession began to remarshal itself 
for its return. The bridegroom's procession which 
was, however, robbed of his presence, returned first. 
Again were the Duke and Hereditary Prince of Saxe- 
Coburg loudly cheered. The nuptial procession then 
returned in the same order as before. On the appear- 
ance of Her Majesty hand-in-hand with her royal hus- 
band, the clapping of hands and the waving of hand- 
kerchiefs were renewed time after time until they had 



188 THE ROYAL WEDDING. 

passed out of sight. Whether by accident or design, 
His Royal Highness Prince Albert inclosed Her 
Majesty's hand in his own in such a way as to display 
the wedding ring, which appeared more solid than is 
usual in ordinary weddings. On their return, cheers 
were given to most, if not to all, of the ladies of 
royal birth who had received them on their approach. 
There was, however, one cheer far more long and 
enthusiastic than any other of the day reserved for the 
Duke of Wellington as he left the Chapel. He was not 
part of the royal procession, and it had passed to some 
distance before he made his appearance. As soon as 
he had arrived in the centre of the colonnade, spon- 
taneously, without any signal, and yet as if by common 
and universal consent, the company rose and gave 
him three hearty cheers. The heart of the veteran 
appeared gladdened by it. 

Lord Melbourne, who must have heard the uproar, 
took it as a hint that he had better return another way. 
At least, if he did not, his presence did not meet our 
view in the returning cortege. Her Majesty then pro- 
ceeded to the throne-room, where the form of attesta- 
tion took place. Her Majesty and Prince Albert 
signed the marriage register, which was attested by 
certain members of the royal family and officers of 
state present. A splendid table was prepared for the 
purpose, and this part of the ceremony, with the mag- 
nificent assemblage by which it was witnessed, pre- 
sented one of the most striking spectacles of the day. 

At about one o'clock the firing of the guns 
announced that the ring had been put on the finger, 
the important part of the ceremony concluded. 

After the ceremony, at twenty-five minutes past one. 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 189 

the first return reached Buckingham Palace, and con- 
sisted of the inferior officers of Prince Albert's suite, 
the Queen's gentlemen ushers, and a lady of Her 
Majesty's household. 

At twenty minutes to two the Duchess of Kent 
returned; her Royal Highness was accompanied by 
her brother, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and 
Prince Ernest. The royal duchess was loudly cheered, 
which she acknowledged m-ost graciously. 

Viscount Melbourne and Viscount Palmerston fol- 
lowed soon after in full official uniform, then came the 
Marquis of Normanby, dressed in the uniform of a 
colonial governor, and at ten minutes to two o'clock 
the royal procession returned. 

The Prince rode in the carriage with the Queen. 
His Royal Highness assisted Her Majesty to alight, 
and led her into the Palace. The royal bride entered 
her own hall with an open and joyous countenance, 
flushed perhaps in the slightest degree, and in the 
most smiling and condescending manner acknowl- 
edged the loud and cordial cheers which rang through 
the apartment. The royal bridegroom handed Her 
Majesty through the state rooms. The Duke of Sus- 
sex soon followed. The duke was dressed in his uni- 
form as captain general of the Honorable Artillery 
Company, and wore the collars and other insignia of 
the Orders of the Garter, Bath, and St. Andrew. The 
Duke of Cambridge arrived immediately after, accom- 
panied by the duchess. Prince George, and the two 
princesses. His Royal Highness wore the insignia of 
the Orders of the Garter and the Bath, and carried his 
baton as field-marshal. Prince George was dressed 
in the uniform of his regiment, and was decorated with 



190 THE ROYAL WEDDING, 

the Order of the Garter. The duke led in the Uttle 
Princess Mary. The invited guests of the dejeiiner 
followed each other in rapid succession. 

At Buckingham Palace there was a wedding repast, 
at which several of the illustrious participators in the 
previous ceremony, and the ofilicers of the household 
and ministers of state, were present. 

At the conclusion of the breakfast, arrangements 
vvrere made for the immediate departure of Her 
Majesty for Windsor, and at a quarter to four the royal 
party left Buckingham Palace amid the cheers and fes- 
tive acclamations of avast multitude. The first carriage 
was occupied only by Her Majesty and Prince Albert ; 
the second and three others by the lord and lady in 
waiting, the groom, equerry, two maids of honor, and 
other attendants of Her Majesty and His Royal High- 
ness. Just before the royal cortege left Buckingham 
Palace, the sun shone forth will full brightness, the 
skies were cleared of their murky clouds, and all 
things seemed to promise that future happiness which 
we sincerely trust may be the lot of the illustrious pair. 

The Prince was dressed in a plain dark traveling 
dress, and Her Majesty in a white satin pelisse 
trimmed with swansdown, with a white satin bonnet 
and feather. 

The demonstrations from Buckingham Palace to 
Windsor were intensely patriotic. 

At an hour considerably before sunrise the 
neighborhood of Constitution Hill began to 
exhibit signs of preparation for the approach- 
ing spectacle, which became more evident and 
more bustling as the day drew on. Parties of cav- 
alry and infantry moving to their posts, orderlies dash- 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 191 

ing to and fro, groups of sight-seers, male and female, 
hurrying from every quarter toward Buckingham 
Palace ; and last, though not least, numerous swarms 
of persons scattered over the Green Park, laden with 
planks, casks, chairs, tables, and other means of ele- 
vation for the purpose of giving a sight of the proces- 
sion, denoting by their wild cries and determination, 
and cunning in baffling the efforts of the police to 
prevent their ingress into the park, the origin of the 
majority of them from the sister island :all these gave a 
variety and life to the scene which almost compensated 
for the dullness and gloom of the morning. But, 
gloomy and uncompromising as the morning was, the 
parties interested seemed determined to make the best 
of it, and good-humored jests circulating among the 
crowd, and now and then a petite emeute, or short- 
lived squabble, whiled away the damp and heavy 
hours. 

At length, however, about eight o'clock, amusement 
began to turn up in the arrivals of the guests invited to 
the royal nuptials, who, as they successively filed under 
the triumphal arch, were challenged by the warder, 
and showed the pink or white cards which gave a title 
to admittance, lent an air of considerable liveliness to 
the scene, not unmixed with something of the feudal 
and the romantic. First came in various flies and cabs, 
and vehicles of low degree, certain damsels who were 
pointed out to us as maids of honor, or persons other- 
wise appertaining to the royal household ; then a 
strong body of the Foot Guards marched toward the 
position allotted to them in the immediate neighbor- 
hood of Buckingham Palace ; then came a body of the 
Horse Guards Blue, with fifes and cymbals playing 



192 THE ROYAL WEDDING. 

merrily, and then the general company began to make 
their appearance, among whom we noticed Mr, Mont- 
gomery, Lord Monteagle, the vice-chancellor, Lord 
and Lady Langdale, Viscount and Lady Howick, the 
Duke of Norfolk (in his robes and with his stafif of 
office as earl marshal), Sir G. Grey, Lord and Lady 
Ashley, the Earl of Burhngton, Viscount Morpeth, the 
chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord John Russell, Mr. 
Labouchere, Lord Holland, the Marquis of Nor- 
manby. Viscount Palmerston, Lord Duncannon, the 
lord chancellor, the Austrian and other ministers, and 
the Marchioness of Normanby. 

The ministers, with the exception of the lord chan- 
cellor, who wore his legal costume, were attired in the 
Windsor uniform of blue, guarded or turned up with 
an edging of oak-leaf in gold, but, strange to tell, they 
passed in every instance without the smallest notice, 
favorable or otherwise, on the part of the immense 
multitude who were congregated in this quarter. At 
a quarter to twelve the Duke of Cambridge and suite, 
in three of the royal carriages, drove through the gate, 
escorted by a guard of honor. The Duke of Sussex 
passed in a single carriage at a few minuteg before 
twelve o'clock. The illustrious duke wore, as usual, 
his black silk skullcap, looked in very good health, and 
was very favorably received by the crowd. 

And so the day wore on, until a'bout half past two 
o'clock, when, the rain and mist having cleared off, 
the coup d' ceil from the triumphal arch was certainly 
striking, for as far as the eye could reach toward Ken- 
sington, along Hyde Park, the Green Park, and Pic- 
cadilly, the whole area was more or less thickly 
crowded with human beings, all anxiously expecting 




KING EDWARD VII. 




A DISTINGUISHED GROUP. 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 193 

(though most of them at a distance disabling them 
from enjoying) the approach of their youthful mon- 
arch. 

At length, about half past two o'clock the passage of 
a party of Light Dragoons, on their way to the Pal- 
ace, gave people cause to think that Her Majesty's 
appearance would not be wanting long, for it was con- 
jectured, and rightly, that these troops were intended 
to form the escort of the royal pair to Windsor 
Castle. 

A few minutes past four o'clock the much-expected 
cavalcade drew near, a carriage with ladies of the 
household leading the way, a party of the cavalry fol- 
lowing; the royal traveling chariot conveying Her 
Majesty and Prince Albert dashed rapidly under the 
triumphal archway amid the warm and enthusiastic 
cheers of the spectators assembled around, who were 
manifestly much captivated by the comely appear- 
ance of the Prince, and by the affable and grace- 
ful manner in which he acknowledged their notice. 
Her Majesty appeared in excellent health and 
high spirits, and bowed in return to the cheers of her 
applauding subjects with much earnestness of man- 
ner. 

The preparations at Eton were on a grand scale. At 
the entrance of the precincts of the college, on the 
right-hand side of the road coming from London, and 
fronting the college itself, a large wooden structure, 
in form of a Grecian portico 60 feet in height, and of 
proportionate width, was erected. The whole of this 
erection was covered with variegated lamps ; on the 
pediment were the royal arms. An inscription or 
"legend," with the words "Gratulatio Victorige et 

13 



194 THE ROYAL WEDDING. 

Alberto," surmounted the pediment. The word 
"Etona" was also conspicuous among the decorations. 
Seven large flags floated gallantly from the summit of 
the buildings, which exhibited considerable taste both 
in the design and embellishments. There were no less 
than 5,000 lamps in the portico, the effect of which was 
at night very splendid. The interior quadrangle of 
the college presented a brilliant appearance. The 
clock-tower, on the eastern side, was illuminated by a 
crown, surrounded with a wreath of laurel, having the 
letters "V. A.," the whole in variegated lamps. Be- 
neath were three brilliant stars. The arch of the clock- 
tower was surrounded by rows of lamps, and the east- 
ern side of the quadrangle was elegantly festooned 
with lamps. The principal gateway into the quadrangle 
was also decorated with lamps, having the words 
"Floreat Etona" over the crown of the arch. Several 
thousand lamps were employed on this part of the ven- 
erable edifice. There was also a triumphal arch of lau- 
rels and lamps across the road by the Christopher Inn. 
The whole of the Eton scholars and masters, 550 in 
number, wore bridal favors. Besides the preparations 
at the college, the main street of Eton presented a 
lively appearance; most of the houses were illum- 
inated, and the principal tradesmen exhibited stars 
and other emblems of the joyous event. The whole 
place was in a state of bustle and excitement ; all was 
felicity. At the Christopher Inn a dinner was pre- 
pared for a large party of the inhabitants, and there 
were private parties at most of the houses of the 
dames and college authorities. 

In the morning the appearance of Windsor differed 
in no respect from its ordinary character, and scarcely 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 195 

a symptom was observable of an intention to make 
any public celebration of the royal wedding. All the 
shops were opened as usual ; every one seemed busy 
in his customary avocations; no merry peal of bells 
welcomed in the day ; and the rain, falling in torrents, 
made the town look very dull and miserable. By 
degrees this melancholy aspect of affairs wore away. 
The rain ceased; in the afternoon the shops were 
closed, and the inhabitants having now nothing to 
detain them at home, thronged the streets, decorated 
with wedding favors and dressed in the gayest possi- 
ble style, and the prospect — so gloomy a short time 
before — became lively and charming. The sun shot 
forth its beams, and the bells, as if awakened from 
slumber, burst out in joyous chimes. As the day 
advanced, the weather grew more and more propitious, 
and numbers of strangers, anxious to see Her Majesty 
with her illustrious Consort enter the noble palace of 
her ancestors at Windsor, poured into the place, con- 
veyed in every conceivable description of vehicle. 
About half past two o'clock considerable excitement 
was occasioned among the various groups of persons 
waiting to see the royal cortege pass through High 
Street by the appearance of the royal standard, which 
at that hour was raised at the Round Tower. At four 
o'clock a troup of Life Guards left Windsor for the 
purpose of meeting the royal cortege on the road and 
escorting it to the castle. At this hour a dense con- 
course of persons had collected about the gates of the 
castle, which appeared to be the point of greatest 
attraction, and an unbroken line of spectators 
extended from this spot to the extremity of Eton, near 
to London. As always happens in cases like the pres- 



196 THE ROYAL WEDDING. 

ent, the anxiously-expected arrival was announced 
about one hundred and fifty times before it actually 
happened, and as each successive rumor turned out to 
be false, it would not be easy to depict the momentary 
disappointment manifested by the impatient assem- 
blage. 

At half past six the crowd on the castle hill had 
become so dense that it was with difficulty the line of 
road for the royal carriages w^as kept cleared. The 
whole street was one living mass, while the walls of 
the houses glowed with crowns, stars, and all the bril- 
liant devices which gas and oil could supply. At this 
moment a flight of rockets was visible in the air; it 
was apparently over Eton, and it was immediately 
concluded that the Queen had entered Eton. 

The bells now rang merrily, and the shouts of the 
spectators were heard as the royal cortege approached 
the castle. At twenty minutes before seven the royal 
carriage arrived in the High Street, Windsor, pre- 
ceded by the advanced-guard of the traveling escort, 
consisting of a body of the 2d Life Guards, com- 
manded by Lieutenant Totenham, which relieved the 
14th Dragoons at Colnbrook. The shouts were now 
most loud and cheering, and from the windows and 
balconies of the houses handkerchiefs were waved by 
the ladies, while the gentlemen huzzaed and waved 
their hats. The carriage, from the crowd, proceeded 
slowly. Her Majesty and her royal Consort bowing to 
the people. Her Majesty looked remarkably well, and 
Prince Albert seemed in the highest spirits at the cor- 
diality with which he was greeted. It was exactly a 
quarter to seven when the royal carriage drew up at 
the grand entrance. The Queen was handed from the 



THE ROYAL WEDDING. 197 

carriage by the Prince ; she immediately took his arm 
and entered the Castle. 

In the evening the auspicious event was celebrated 
by a pubhc dinner given in the Town-hall. About lOO 
of the inhabitants of Windsor attended, the mayor 
taking the chair, and being supported on either side 
by the members for the borough, Messrs. Ramsbot- 
tom and Gordon. At the conclusion of the dinner, 
"Health and Long Lives to Victoria and Albert" was 
proposed by the mayor, and responded to in the most 
enthusiastic manner, the whole company rising and 
cheering for several minutes. 

Two other pubHc dinners were given at the Castle 
Tavern and at the Star and Garter; and several inhabi- 
tants of the town besides had private parties in honor 
of the royal wedding. 

We are happy to say that while the "great" feasted, 
the "small" were not forgotten on this joyous occas- 
ion. A substantial dinner of good old English fare 
was provided for the poorer inhabitants of the place 
and the neighboring country, the expense being 
defrayed by a voluntary subscription, to which fund 
$ioo were contributed by Her Majesty. Nearly 600 
poor families, amounting probably to 2,000 individ- 
uals, were by this considerate charity regaled at their 
own homes with a good dinner and some excellent 
beer, wherewith to do complete justice to the toast of 
"Health and Happiness to Victoria and Albert." 



CHAPTER XIV. 



EARLY MARRIED LIFE. 

On the 14th of February, 1840, after the brightest 
of honeymoons, the Queen and the Prince returned 
to Buckingham Palace, there to enter on the dis- 
charge of the high duties of their lofty calling, and to 
commence that life of ideal domestic happiness that 
will stand before the world for generations as a rare 
example of wedded bliss. 

Her Majesty has graciously given us a glimpse of 
that blissful domestic life. They breakfasted at nine, 
and took a walk every morning soon afterwards. 
Then came the usual amount of business, besides 
which they drew and etched a great deal together, 
which was a source of great amusement, having the 
plates 'bit' in the house. Luncheon followed at the 
usual hour of two o'clock. Lord Melbourne (the 
Prime Minister at the time) came to the Queen in the 
afternoon, and between five and six the Prince gen- 
erally drove her out in a pony phaeton. If the Prince 
did not drive the Queen he rode (he was, by the way, 
a most accomplished horseman, as the sportsmen of 
England found to their great admiration), in which 
case she took a drive with the Duchess of Kent or 
the ladies. The Prince also read aloud most days to 
the Queen. The dinner was at eight o'clock, and 
always with the company. The Prince often played 
doiible chess, of which he was very fond. 

At this period the Duchess of Kent removed to 
198 



EARLY MARRIED LIFE. 199 

Ingestra House, Belgrave Square, thence to Clarence 
House, St. James's. But while no longer an actual 
member of the royal household, her grace was never 
far from her daughter, and dined almost daily at the 
Castle. 

Elizabeth Wormeley Latimer gives us the following 
delightful pen picture of the Queen in these early days 
of her reign : 

"I saw the Queen frequently not long after her 
accession. She was decidedly pretty as a young girl, 
and her heads on EngHsh postage stamps and English 
coins are excellent likenesses. As to her reading, I 
had heard by common report that it was beautiful, but 
supposed people exaggerated its merits because of her 
position. When I heard her read I found I was 
mistaken. I have heard Fanny Kemble, and Charles 
Kemble, and other great readers, but I never heard 
any reader who equalled Queen Victoria. It was like 
Rachel's acting, a revelation of the possibilities of a 
thing familiar. Without effort her voice filled the 
House of Lords, clear, distinct, yet giving the effect 
of being sweet and low. I saw her once in the Royal 
Pew (a gallery pew) in the Chapel Royal at St. 
James's. She wore a black silk mantle, and a straw 
bonnet trimmed with brown ribbon, and pink roses 
in her bonnet-cap,— as was the fashion at that period. 
My father was at her first levee. He told us she 
behaved charmingly, but looked very tired towards 
the last, and her poor little hand was quite red, several 
hundred gentlemen having that day kissed it." 
The same distinguished writer adds: 
"It has been supposed, and the supposition is sup- 
ported by a letter the Queen has permitted to be 



200 EARLY MARRIED LIFE. 

published from herself to her uncle, King Leopold, 
that her early life had not been altogether a happy 
one ; but at all events it admirably fitted her for the 
station to which she was called. She learned patience, 
self-control, punctuality, industry, and fidelity to 
every duty; kindness of heart, and a strict sense of 
propriety, came to her naturally. The dread felt in 
England lest the Duchess of Kent should attempt to 
govern in her daughter's stead, or even be 'a power 
behind the throne,' proved entirely uncalled for. The 
good sense of both mother and daughter kept the 
Duchess in the background, and from the moment 
when the young Queen, in her white wrapper, with 
her bare feet thrust into slippers, came forth from 
her chamber to meet the Lords who announced to 
her her uncle's death, she has reigned (so far as a 
constitutional sovereign can reign) alone. She has 
had no favorites, no advisers except members of her 
cabinet, her uncle Leopold (through Baron Stock- 
mar), and her husband. She has had no private secre- 
tary, and has always read, and commented on, all 
foreign dispatches. From the time of her marriage 
she rose early, walked with her husband about the 
grounds at Windsor, breakfasted, had daily prayers 
afterwards in the Chapel, and worked steadily at her 
desk, or with her ministers, till luncheon time. If 
a dispatch was brought her she retired with it in- 
stantly to glance over it, and to put it aside herself 
till she had time to read it attentively." 

"The office of secretary had since the Queen's 
accession been discharged by Baroness Lehzen, and 
they invested her with powers which, however, dis- 
creetly used, were calculated to bring her into collision 



EARLY MARRIED LIFE, 201 

with the natural head of the house. It is due to this 
lady to say that genuine affection for Her Majesty, 
who for so many years had been the object of her care, 
and who was attached to her by ties of gratitude and 
regard for kindness and counsel in her girlhood, when 
they were most needed, very probably blinded her to 
the obvious truth that her former influence must, in 
the natural course of things, give way before that of a 
husband, especially of a husband so able, and so deeply 
loved, and that in the true interests of her royal pupil 
she should herself have been the first to desire that the 
ofifice she had hitherto held should be transferred to 
the Prince." The Queen, however, soon set matters 
straight by her tact and kindness, and the Prince 
became master in his own house. 

It would seem that a royal household is not the eas- 
iest thing in the world to manage. We are told that 
the muddle of the royal household was extraordinary. 
For example, it was the duty of the Lord Chamber- 
lain's office to see that the inside of the palace win- 
dows were cleaned. The Commissioners of Woods 
and Forests had to clean the outsides. The Lord 
Steward was responsible for the supply of wood and 
coal (it seems to us that the above commissioners 
ought to have had this duty), but the fuel found, the 
people of the Lord Chamberlain had to light the fires. 

"Before a pane of glass or a cupboard door could 
be mended," Baron Stockmar says, "the sanction of 
so many officials had to be obtained that often months 
elapsed before the repairs were made." The servants, 
also, were principally responsible to absent officials, 
and consequently were very little under control. With 
great tact and patience all these evils were slowly but 



202 EARLY MARRIED LIFE. 

finally remedied by the Prince, who also restrained 
much shameful waste in the royal kitchens. 

The Queen and the Prince spent their first Easter 
together at Windsor, and received the sacrament 
together for the first time. The Prince regarded this 
as a particularly solemn service, and prepared himself 
for its observance with most scrupulous care. 

In the midst of all the brightness of these days the 
Queen's life was imperiled by the hand of an assassin. 

It was a lovely June day, four months after the 
Queen's marriage, about six o'clock, and the Queen 
was driving out in a low phaeton with her husband, as 
was her wont. As they passed the Green Park rail- 
ings, a mere lad, leaning against them, drew a pistol 
from his pocket and fired at the sovereign. The horses 
were startled, and the carriage stopped, but the Prince 
ordered the postilions to drive on. He seized the 
Queen's hands and asked her "if the fright had shaken 
her," but she laughed. 

The royal pair now distinctly saw the assassin 
standing with a pistol in each hand. Almost immedi- 
ately he fired again. Prince Albert drew the Queen 
down beside him, and the ball passed over her head. 
The enraged people now seized the youth, and he was 
disarmed and dragged away. The Queen stood up in 
her carriage to show her subjects that she was not 
hurt, and then drove rapidly to her mother's house, to 
be the first to tell the news, before any exaggerated 
version of the attempt alarmed the Duchess, who now 
dwelt in Belgrave Square. Then Her Majesty and the 
Prince returned to the Park. 

By this time the event was known, and crowds of 
people received them with enthusiastic cheers. Never 



EARLY MARRIED LIFE. 203 

had the Park witnessed such a scene. All the eques- 
trians in the Row, both ladies and gentlemen, formed 
themselves into a guard of honor, and attended the 
royal pair back to the palace gates. The Queen was 
pale but composed ; she smiled and bowed graciously, 
but when she reached her own apartments we are told 
that she burst into tears. For several days afterwards 
these loyal volunteers escorted and guarded their sov- 
ereign. At all the theatres that night "God save the 
Queen" was sung enthusiastically, and when next Her 
Majesty went to the opera she received a perfect ova- 
tion. 

The Houses of Parliament also came to the Palace 
in full dress in two hundred carriages, and presented 
an address of congratulation, which the Queen 
received in state seated on her throne. 

The would-be assassin, Edward Oxford, was a bar- 
man out of place. It was found that his family were 
afiflicted with hereditary insanity, and he was simply 
confined in Bedlam ; thence he was sent to Dartmoor, 
and afterwards he was released, and went to Australia. 

With characteristic thoughtfulness Prince Albert 
hastened to inform the Dowager Duchess of Coburg 
of the event. That same day he wrote : 

Buckingham Palace, June ii, 1840. 

Dear Grandmamma. — I hasten to give you an 
account of an event which might otherwise be mis- 
represented to you, which endangered my life and that 
of Victoria, but from which we escaped under the 
watchful hand of Providence. We drove out yester- 
day, about six o'clock, to pay Aunt Kent a visit, and 
to take a turn round Hyde Park. We drove in a small 
phaeton. I sat on the right, Victoria on the left. We 



204 EARLY MARRIED LIFE. 

had hardly proceeded a hundred yards from the Palace 
when I noticed on the foot-path, on my side, a little, 
mean-looking man, holding something toward me; 
before I could distinguish what it was, a shot was fired 
which almost stunned us both, it was so loud, and 
fired scarcely six paces from us. Victoria had just 
turned to the left to look at a horse, and could not, 
therefore, understand why her ears were ringing, as, 
from its being so very near, she could hardly distin- 
guish that it proceeded from a shot having been fired. 
The horses started and the carriage stopped. I seized 
Victoria's handstand asked if the fright had not shaken 
her, but she laughed at the thing. I then looked again 
at the man, who was still standing in the same place, 
his arms crossed, and a pistol in each hand. His atti- 
tude was so theatrical and affected it quite amused me. 
Suddenly he again presented his pistol, and fired a 
second time. This time Victoria also saw the shot, 
and stooped quickly, pulled down by me. The ball 
must have passed just above her head. . . The 
people, who had been petrified at first, now rushed 
upon him. I called to the postilion to go on, and we 
arrived safely at Aunt Kent's. From thence we took 
a short drive through the Park, partly to give Victoria 
a little air, partly also to show the public that we had 
not, in consequence of what had happened, lost con- 
fidence in them. . . The name of the culprit is 
Edward Oxford. He is seventeen years old, a waiter 
in a low inn, not mad, I think, but quiet and composed. 
On the 1st of August Prince Albert was appointed 
Prince Regent with many high compHments. Lord 
Melbourne was delighted with the manner in which 
the royal Consort had won his way in pubhc esteem. 



EARLY MARRIED LIFE. 205 

Speaking of his appointment as Prince Regent lie 
said : "Three months ago they would not have done 
this for him ; it is entirely due to his character." And 
the grand old Duke of Wellington said, with a lordly 
smile of approbation and satisfaction, "Let the Queen 
put the Prince where she Hkes, and settle it herself ; 
that is the best way." 

On the nth of August the Queen prorogued Par- 
liament in person. 

The Freedom of the City of London was conferred 
on Prince Albert on the 28th of August. The oath of 
the Aldermen vouching for the Prince as a proper per- 
son to receive this honor ran thus : 

"We declare, upon the oath we took at the time of 
our admission to the freedom of the city, that Prince 
Albert is of good name and fame; that he does not 
desire the freedom of this city whereby to defraud the 
Queen or this city of any of their ri^ts, customs or 
advantages ; but that he will pay his scot and bear his 
lot ; and so we all say." 

The Lord Chamberlain then administered the Free- 
man's oath to the Prince, who then made the follow- 
ing brief speech : 

"It is with the greatest pleasure that I meet you 
upon this occasion, and offer you my warmest thanks 
for the honor which has been conferred upon me by 
the presentation of the freedom of the city of Lon- 
don. The wealth and intelhgence of this vast city have 
raised it to the highest eminence amongst the cities 
of the world ; and it must therefore ever be esteemed 
a great distinction to be numbered amongst the mem- 
bers of your ancient corporation. I shall always 
remember with pride and satisfaction the day on which 



206 EARLY MARRIED LIFE. 

I became your fellow-citizen ; and it is especially grat- 
ifying to me, as marking your loyalty and affection to 
the Queen." 

On the nth of September Prince Albert was sworn 
a member of the Privy Council, and so anxious was he 
to discharge conscientiously every duty which might 
devolve upon him, that he set to work to master Hal- 
lam's Constitutional History with the Queen, and also 
began the study of English law. 

One more event of national interest was to crown 
this happy year. It was observed that at the last 
Drawing-room of the season the Queen bore the 
marks of restlessness and fatigue. Interesting and 
elaborate preparations were being made at Bucking- 
ham Palace for a great and important event, and early 
in the morning of the 21st of November the Princess 
Royal was born. Court gossips say that Prince Albert 
was a little disappointed that his first-born was not a 
son. And they say more that might just as well be left 
unsaid. Whatever the Prince thought he was not the 
man to babble on such a theme. The Queen, speak- 
ing of the tenderness of her dear lord in those sacred 
days, says : "His care for me was like that of a 
mother, nor could there be a more judicious nurse." 

That was a merry Christmas at Windsor Castle, that 
Christmas of 1840! What a year it had been! The 
Queen was calmly, serenely happy with her baby 
daughter by her side. Grandmamma Kent was in the 
seventh heaven of delight; the Prince would have a 
Christmas all in honor of the Royal Princess, who 
blinked and winked when the candles were lit, and 
then sailed peacefully of¥ to the Land of Nod, and all 



EARLY MARRIED LIFE. 207 

England with heart and voice said : "God bless the 
little stranger." 

It was about this time, we believe, that the young 
Queen was first called on to exercise her power of life 
or death. The Duke of Wellington brought to Her 
Majesty a court-martial death-warrant for signature. 
At that time the sentence of death had to be confirmed 
by the sovereign's signature. "She shrank from the 
dreadful task," says Miss Greenwood, " and with tears 
in her eyes asked, 

" 'Have you nothing to say on behalf of this man?' 

" 'Nothing ; he has deserted three times, ' replied the 
Iron Duke. 

" 'Oh, Your Grace, think again !' 

" 'Well, Your Majesty, he certainly is a bad soldier, 
but there was somebody who spoke as to his good 
character. He may be a good fellow in private life.' 

" 'Oh, thank you !' exclaimed the Queen, as she 
dashed off the word 'Pardoned' on the awful parch- 
ment, and wrote beneath it her beautiful signature." 

To relieve their Hege lady from this painful duty her 
Parliament at length arranged that death warrants 
should be signed by royal commission. 

On the first anniversary of the wedding of the Queen 
and Prince Albert, February loth, 1841, their first- 
born child was christened. The ceremony took place 
in the throne-room at Buckingham Palace. There 
was a new silver font for the occasion, elaborately 
carved with the royal arms. The little Princess was 
baptized with water brought from the river Jordan. 
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Bish- 
ops of London and Norwich and the Dean of Carlisle. 
The sponsors were Queen Adelaide, the Duchess of 



208 EARLY MARRIED LIFE. 

Gloucester, the Duchess of Kent, The King of the 
Belgians, the Duke of Sussex, and the Duke of Saxe- 
Coburg and Gotha who was represented by the vener- 
able Duke of Wellington. Queen Adelaide named 
the Royal Princess "Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa." 

In the summer of this year a straw appeared upon 
the current of the royal career of the Prince which 
showed how strongly the undercurrents were run- 
ning. Prince Albert was placed at the head of a Royal 
Commission for the Encouragement of Art. This 
may have been a mere formality at the first, but it was 
the open door to a thousand opportunities of useful- 
ness of which the Prince was quick to avail himself, 
and clear sighted enough to thoroughly understand. 
He was not to be a figure head, any more than the 
Queen, but a real live working Prince. 

As the year drew to its close Buckingham Palace 
was again astir with anxious preparations. On Lord 
Mayor's Day, November the 9th, 1841, the Queen 
gave birth to a son, the Prince of Wales. The Arch- 
bishop of Canterbury, the Premier and all the great 
officers of state, together with the Duchess of Kent, 
arrived at the Castle before seven o'clock in the morn- 
ing to welcome what proved to be the heir to the 
throne and crown of England. Guns were fired, bells 
were rung, and all the land was glad ; and many a poor 
convict in prison or on the hulks had occasion to be 
glad of the birth of the Prince of Wales, for many of 
them were set free, and many others had long sen- 
tences commuted. The Lord Mayor and the Lady 
Mayoress and other officials of the city of London 
were received at Buckingham Palace and had a dish 
of caudle, and a sight of the new-born Prince. 



EARLY MARRIED LIFE. 209 

When the royal infant was a month old the Queen 
issued a patent creating "our most dear son" Prince of 
Wales and Earl of Chester. 

There was another glorious Christmas at Windsor 
Castle. The Queen seems overcome with gratitude. 
She says : 

"Albert brought in dearest little Pussy (Princess 
Victoria) in such a smart white merino dress, 
trimmed with blue, which mamma had given her, and 
a pretty cap, and placed her on my bed, seating him- 
self next to her, and she was very dear and good ; and 
as my precious, invaluable Albert sat there, and our 
little love between us, I felt quite moved with happi- 
ness and gratitude to God." 

And then with mother's true wonder she writes to 
her uncle. King Leopold, she said : "I wonder very 
much whom our little boy will be like. You will 
understand how fervent are my prayers, and I am sure 
everybody's must be, to see him resemble his father 
in every respect, both in mind and body." And in 
another letter she remarked : "We all have our trials 
and vexations ; but if one's home is happy, then the 
rest is comparatively nothing." 

Prince Albert, writing to his father, says : "This is 
the dear Christmas Eve on which I have so often lis- 
tened with impatience for your step, which was to 
convey us into the gift-room. To-day I have two 
children of my own to make gifts to, who, they know 
not why, are full of happy wonder at the German 
Christmas tree and its radiant candles." 

The christening of the Prince of Wales was the first 
great royal function of 1842. The imposing ceremony 
took place in St. George's Chapel, Windsor, on the 

14 



210 EARLY MARRIED LIFE. 

25th of January. The sponsors were : The King of 
Prussia, the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg, represented by 
the Duchess of Kent, the Duke of Cambridge, the 
Duchess of Saxe-Gotha, represented by the Duchess 
of Cumberland, the Princess Sophia, represented by 
the Princess Augusta of Cambridge, and Prince Fer- 
dinand of Coburg. The sponsors named him "Albert 
Edward" after his father and grandfather. At the 
conclusion of the ceremony the "Hallelujah Chorus" 
was sung by the full choir, by request of Prince 
Albert, and the overture to Handel's "Esther" was 
performed. 

We gain a very pleasant glimpse of the home life of 
the Queen in this year 1842 from the pen of Miss Lid- 
dell, afterwards Lady Bloomfield, one of the maids of 
honor to Her Majesty. "I arrived here at Windsor 
Castle," says Miss Liddell, "about five o'clock and 
was immediately shown up to my rooms, which are 
warm and comfortable ; shortly after Matilda Paget, 
who arrived just before me, came to me and took me 
to Lady Lyttelton, the lady-in-waiting, who received 
me kindly. I remained some time in her room, and 
then, when I returned to my own. Baroness Lehzen 
came to me, bringing me my badge, which, as you 
know, is the Queen's picture surrounded with brilliants 
on a red bow. I am to be presented to Her Majesty in 
the corridor before dinner. I have a nice sitting-roorn 
with a pianoforte. I hear the duties are very easy, and 
that except at meals, or when the Queen sends for us, 
we may sit quietly in our rooms, which is just what I 
like. The castle is being prepared for the King of 
Prussia's visit, and is full of workpeople. .... I 
went downstairs with Lady Lyttelton and Miss Paget, 



EARLY MARRIED LIFE. 211 

and we waited, as is customary, in the corridor, near 
the door which lead to the Queen's apartments. 
When Her Majesty came. Lady Lyttelton presented 
me, and I kissed hands on my appointment as maid of 
honor. The Queen asked graciously after you and 
Minnie. We then went in to dinner, and after dinner 
Her Majesty talked to me for some time, asked me 
about my family, journey, &c., &c. The Duchess of 
Kent was also very kind, and desired to be remem- 
bered to you and my sisters. We were quite a small 
party, consisting merely of the household. In the 
evening the Queen and Prince Albert, and some of 
the others, played a round game, whilst, as I had asked 
Miss Paget to take the first waiting, I sat quietly work- 
ing near Baroness Lehzen, who is very amiable to 
me. . . . The hours are very regular — breakfast at 
ten, lunch at two, dinner at eight. There is a room 
downstairs where we are allowed to receive our rela- 
tions and friends, but they must not come upstairs. 
. . . Being maid of honor in waiting to-day, I had 
to place the bouquet beside Her Majesty when she sat 
down to dinner, and sat next the gentleman to the 

Queen's right I had to play at Nainjaune, or 

some such game, after dinner. I did not know it the 
least, but soon learnt. I made some mistakes at first, 
but luckily always to my own disadvantage, which 
delighted Prince Albert, who is charmed whenever 
any one fails to claim the forfeits or prizes. I suppose 
I may consider myself very lucky, as I got up having 
won exactly threepence. We are obliged to have a 
supply of new shillings, sixpences, -fourpennies, and 
penny pieces." 

From these enchanting scenes of domestic happi- 



212 EARLY MARRIED LIFE. 

ness and peace we must turn our eyes to the 
shadows darkening in the palace. But in the 
meantime many events occurred which we have not 
the space to describe in detail — the Chartist Move- 
ment, the Corn Law Controversy, the Crimean 
War, the Indian Mutiny, the deaths of the Duke of 
Wellington and Sir Robert Peel, and other incidents, 
which more properly belong to a history of the nation 
itself. 



CHAPTER XV. 



SHADOWS IN THE PALACE. 

It would be difficult to find in all the long record 
of the years, any story of domestic happiness, more 
impressive and deHghtful than that which tells of the 
home life of Queen Victoria. It was an ideal example 
of the peace and blessedness that result from perfect 
confidence and love. On the nth of February, 1861, 
the Queen and Prince Albert, kept, with "Sacred 
Music," as the day was Sunday, what the Prince 
called "the coming of age" of their marriage. It was 
the twenty-first anniversary of one of the most de- 
voted and beautiful married lives the world has ever 
seen. The throne of England was centered in a blaze 
of magnificence and splendor, but beside all this, a 
calmer, serener light of domestic felicity engirdled it, 
making all about it sacred. 

Writing to Baron Stockmar concerning this happy 
occasion Prince Albert says, out of the fullness of his 
heart : "To-morrow our marriage will be twenty-one 
years old. How many a storm has swept over it ; and 
still it continues green and fresh, and throws out 
vigorous roots, from which I can with gratitude to 
God acknowledge that much good will yet be en- 
gendered for the world." 

Concerning this Anniversary Sunday, the Queen 
said, writing to her uncle, King Leopold : "Very few 
can say with me that their husband at the end of 
twenty-one years is not only full of the friendship, 

213 



214 SHADOWS IN THE PALACE. 

kindness and affection which a truly happy marriage 
brings with it, but of the same tender love as in the 
first days of our marriage." 

But the sunniest sky may be overclouded, and 
darkness and storm will come to the happiest home, 
whether that home be a cottage or a palace. Shadows 
began to "gather about the throne. The overflowing 
cup of gladness that had so long been pressed to the 
lips of the Queen was about to be changed to a cup 
full to the brim of exceeding sorrow. 

The first great sorrow of the Queen's maturer days, 
but not the supreme one — came in the spring of this 
sadly memorable year, 1861, The condition of the 
Duchess of Kent had aroused the gravest anxiety. 
She was manifesting the most alarming symptoms of 
failing health. Her life had been a trying, anxious 
life, through all its many years. The Duchess was 
now in her seventy-sixth year. In the death of Sir 
George Couper, her attached and trusted Secretary, 
she lost a faithful friend and a judicious adviser, and 
there came upon her that sense of exceeding loneli- 
ness that often comes to the aged, as they miss from 
the narrowing circle of their days one after another 
of "the old familiar faces." 

Prince Albert hoped for the best. He thought the 
Duchess would rally and that there might yet be 
many bright and happy days in store for her. "The 
poor mamma's health," he said, "has not been injured 
by the shock ; she feels the loss deeply, and will feel 
it more as time goes on. She has had much to suffer 
of late, her right arm being greatly swollen and very 
painful, which puts a stop to her writing, working, or 
playing on the piano, and she cannot read much, or 



SHADOWS IN THE PALACE. 215 

bear to be read to long at a time. She is to come to 
us in town when we return there on Friday. She will 
not go back to Clarence House, and with the children 
about her she will have more to amuse her." 

These fondly cherished hopes were doomed to dis- 
appointment. The physical strength of the Duchess 
steadily declined. The grasshopper became a burden 
— desire failed — and those that looked out of the win- 
dows grew shadowy and dark. She was advised to 
undergo a surgical operation for a complaint in the 
form of an abscess affecting her right arm. The 
operation was said to be successful, and for a time 
all seemed to go well; but on the 15th of March, 
while resting, as seemed, quite comfortably and 
happily in her armchair, the Duchess was seized with 
a shivering fit, from which she never wholly recovered. 

The sad tidings were dispatched with all speed to 
Buckingham Palace, and within two hours the Queen, 
Prince Albert, and the Princess Alice were at Frog- 
more. But these hours seemed like years to the sad 
visitors. The Duchess of Kent was very greatly 
respected by all who knew her. She was admired 
and honored everywhere, but in the immediate circle 
of her own family she was beloved and idolized. It 
was with a sad heart that Prince Albert went up- 
stairs to see the Duchess, and when he returned with 
tears in his eyes, the Queen knew that the end was 
not far away. But she shall tell the story of her great 
sorrow in her own words. 

"With a trembling heart, I went up the staircase 
and entered the bed-room ; and here, on a sofa sup- 
ported by cushions, the room much darkened, sat, 
leaning back, my beloved mother, breathing rather 



216 SHADOWS IN THE PALACE. 

heavily, in her silk dressing-gown, with her cap on, 
looking quite herself. One of those about her said, 
'The end will be easy/ Oh, what agony — what despair 
was this ! Seeing that our presence did not disturb 
her, I knelt down and kissed her dear hand, and 
placed it next my cheek ; but though she opened her 
eyes, she did not I think, know me. She brushed 
my hand off ; and the dreadful reality was before me, 
that for the first time she did not know the child she 
had ever received with such tender smiles. I went 
out to sob. I asked the doctors if there was no hope? 
They said they feared none whatever, for conscious- 
ness had left her. It was suffusion of water on the 
brain that had come on. As the night wore on into 
morning, I lay down on the sofa at the foot of my bed, 
where at least I could lie still. I heard each hour 
strike, the cocks crow, the dogs barking in the dis- 
tance. Every sound seemed to strike into my inmost 
soul. At four I went down again. All still ; nothing 
was to be heard but the heavy breathing, and the 
striking at every quarter of the old repeater, — a large 
watch in a tortoiseshell case which had belonged to 
my poor father, — the sound of which brought back 
all the recollections of my childhood; for I always 
used to hear it at night, but had not heard it for 
twenty-three years. I remained kneeling and stand- 
ing by that beloved parent, whom it seemed too aw- 
ful to see hopelessly leaving me. * * * Then, at 
the last, Albert took me out of the room for a short 
time ; but I could not remain. When I returned, the 
window was wide open, and both doors. I sat on a 
footstool, holding her dear hand. Meantime the face 
grew paler (though in truth her cheeks had the pretty 



SHADOWS IN THE PALACE. 217 

fresh color they always had to the last). The breath- 
ing became easier. I fell on my knees, holding the 
beloved hand that was still soft and warm, though 
heavier. I felt as if my heart would break. Con- 
vulsed with sobs, I fell upon the dear hand when all 
breathing ceased, and covered it with kisses. Albert 
lifted me up, and took me into the next room, him- 
self entirely melted to tears, which is very unusual for 
him, deep as his feelings are. He clasped me in his 
arms. I asked if all was over. He said 'Yes.' 

"O God ! — how awful — how mysterious ! But what 
a blessed end ! Her gentle spirit at rest, her sufferings 
over. But I — I, wretched child, who had lost the 
mother I so tenderly loved, from whom for these 
forty-one years I had never been parted, except for a 
few weeks ! My childhood — everything — seemed to 
crowd upon me. I seemed to have lived through 
a life — to have become old." 

The Crown Princess of Prussia, on hearing of the 
death of her beloved grandmother, hastened with all 
speed to England, to comfort the hearts of her father 
and mother, and to share in the general sorrow. Such 
filial thoughtfulness and love had power to heal and 
soothe the hearts that were broken with sorrow. 
Surely never was there a more devoted family than 
the family of the beloved Queen. For ten days the 
Princess Royal lingered amid these scenes of mourn- 
ing. 

The whole nation was bowed in grief because of 
the departure of the great lady, who for forty years 
had been so conspicuous a figure in the life of Eng- 
land. The formal mourning of the Court was but a 



218 SHADOWS IN THE PALACE. 

sign and symbol of the deep, sincere, mourning of 
the nation. 

The Houses of ParHament paid their tribute of re- 
spect. Addresses of condolence were passed and for- 
warded to the Queen. 

Mr. Disraeli seconded the address of condolence 
in the House of Commons. In closing his eloquent 
and pathetic oration, which Her Majesty very deeply 
appreciated, he said: 

"In the history of our reigning house, none were 
ever placed as the widowed Princess and her royal 
child. Never before developed upon a delicate sex 
a more august or more awful responsibility. How 
these great duties were encountered — how fulfilled — 
may be read in the conscience of a grateful and loyal 
people. Therefore, the name of the Duchess of Kent 
will remain in our history from its interesting and 
benignant connection with an illustrious reign. For 
the great grief which has fallen upon the Queen there 
is only one source of human consolation — the recol- 
lection of unbroken devotedness to the being whom 
we have loved and whom we have lost. That tran- 
quilizing and sustaining memory is the inheritance 
of our Sovereign. She who reigns over us has elected, 
amid all the splendor of Empire to establish her life 
on the principle of domestic love. It is this, it is the 
remembrance and consciousness of this, which now 
sincerely saddens the public spirit, and permits a na- 
tion to bear its heartfelt sympathy to the foot of a 
bereaved throne, and to whisper solace to a royal 
heart." 

Prince Albert was greatly concerned for the Queen. 
She was manifesting that too significant quietude of 



SHADOWS IN THE PALACE. 219 

sorrow that sometimes fathoms the depths of Divine 

despair. Her loss seemed to her infinite. There was 

no antidote for her sorrow, no answer to her heart's 

great cry, no matter how piteously she cried. It taxed 

her husband's anxiety to the uttermost to know what 

was best to be done. Writing to Baron Stockmar 

concerning the Queen, he said : "Her mind is greatly 

upset. She feels her whole childhood rush back once 

more upon her memory; and with these recollections 

comes the thought of many a sad hour. Her grief 

is extreme, and she feels acutely the loss of one whom 

she cherished and tended with affectionate and dutiful 

devotion. For the last two years her constant care 

and occupation have been to keep watch over her 

mother's comfort, and the influence of this upon her 

own character has been most valuable. In body she 

is well, though terribly nervous, and the children are a 

disturbance to her. She remains almost entirely alone. 

You may conceive it was, and is, no easy task for me 

to comfort and support her, and to keep others at a 

distance, and yet at the same time not to throw away 

the opportunity which a time like the present affords 

of binding the family together in a closer bond of 

unity. With business I am well-nigh overwhelmed 
* ^ %" 

The remains of the deceased Duchess were interred 
in the vault beneath St. George's Chapel, Windsor, 
on the 25th of March. The pall was borne by six 
ladies. Prince Albert was chief mourner. Her 
Majesty and her daughters remained at home to weep 
and meditate and pray. 

It may be recorded here that with generous and 
gracious consideration the Queen maintained the 



220 SHADOWS IN THE PALACE. 

financial state of those who had shared the bounty of 
the late Duchess. The allowances which the Duchess 
of Kent had made to her elder daughter, the Princess 
Hohenlohe, and to her two grandsons, Prince Victor 
Hohenlohe and Prince Edward of Leiningen, were 
continued by the Queen, who also pensioned all her 
mother's old servants, and took Lady Augusta Bruce, 
the devoted friend and attendant of her late mother, 
into her own household. Frogmore, that had been 
rich in so many happy associations, now became sa- 
cred as the shrine of sad and tender memories. 

On the 5th of June Prince Albert opened the Royal 
Horticultural Gardens at South Kensington. Here 
he manifested signs of more than common weariness. 
In July the Court removed to Osborne. On the 21st 
of August, Prince Albert, the Princesses Alice and 
Helena, with their brother, Prince Alfred, sailed from 
Osborne in the royal yacht to Dublin, where they met 
with a most hearty welcome. On the 29th the Prince 
reviewed 10,000 men at Curragh Camp. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



THE DARKNESS DEEPENS. 

England little dreamed how sadly this saddest year 
of all was to end. And yet, there were forecasting 
shadows all pointing one sad way. The intimate 
friends of Prince Albert could not fail to observe that 
there was a lack of the old-time vigor in his general 
m.anner. The unwearied toiler was now often very 
weary. 

That the life of Prince Albert was greatly enfeebled, 
if not actually shortened by persistent overwork, is 
generally admitted. Sir Theodore Martin says : 

"Even during the few hours of recreation the brain 
could have had little rest from its preoccupations. 
The day was too short for the claims upon the 
Prince's attention, and the frequent attacks of illness, 
even though slight, showed that his body was grow- 
ing weaker, while every day increased the strain upon 
his mind. In every direction, his counsel and his help 
were sought. In the royal household, in the family 
circle, among his numerous kinsfolk at home and 
abroad, his judgment and guidance were being con- 
stantly appealed to. Every enterprize of national 
importance claimed his attention ; and in all things 
that concerned the welfare of the State, at home and 
abroad, his accurate and varied knowledge, and great 
political sagacity, made him looked to as an authority 
by all our leading statesmen." 

221 



222 THE DARKNESS DEEPENS. 

Lady Bloomfield recalling the last time she saw 
Prince Albert, which was at Windsor in i860, says : 

"I sat next the Prince at dinner, and had a most 
interesting conversation with him. He said his great 
object through life had been to learn as much as 
possible, not with a view of doing much himself, 
because, he observed, any one branch of study or art 
required a life time, but simply for the sake of appre- 
ciating the work of others; for, he added, quite 
simply and without any self-consciousness or vanity, 
*No one knows the difificulties of a thing until he has 
tried to do it himself, and it was with this idea that 
I learnt oil-painting, water-color, etching, fresco- 
painting, chalk-drawing and lithography, and in music 
I studied the organ, pianoforte, violin, thorough bass 
and singing.' What a noble view this was of the 
duties of his position! and how well it agreed with 
the modest, unselfish and studious character of that 
remarkable man." 

One day, talking with the Queen, Prince Albert 
said: 

"I do not cling to life. You do ; but I set no store 
by it. If I knew that those I love were well cared 
for, I should be quite ready to die to-morrow. * * 
* * I am sure if I had a severe illness I should 
give way at once. I should not struggle for hfe; I 
have no tenacity of life." What did all this mean? 
His life was full to the brim with benedictions. No 
father, or husband, or friend was ever loved more 
tenderly or devotedly than he. The difficulties that 
had beset his earlier years had all vanished. He was 
respected by the Government, he was beloved by the 
country, and there was a circle of intimate friendships 



THE DARKNESS DEEPENS. 223 

where he was almost idohzed. He was but in the 
prime of early manhood, and before him a thousand 
doors of usefulness stood wide open inviting him 
to tasks that were dear to his heart. And yet, he 
seems to grow "aweary o' the sun." He does not 
cling to life, and yet life seemed to be worth so much 
to such a man. England had great need of such a 
man. His family had need of him. He should have 
died hereafter. But it was not to be. Through the 
mists that encircled him he saw a beckoning hand, 
and unheard of others, he heard a voice calling him 
away, and when that voice became audible, he was 
ready to obey, lamps trimmed, lights burning. Death 
had no gloom for him, it was a kindly welcome guest. 

But the Prince Consort was a busy man up to the 
very last. After the visit to Ireland in August of 
this year, the Court journeyed to Balmoral. The 
bracing air from lake and mountain for a time seemed 
to call back his strength and vigor. But the 
Queen, whose watchful eyes were quickened by the 
power of love, began to discern signs that gave her 
the greatest solicitude. During that stay at Balmoral 
an exceedingly pleasant excursion to Cairn Glaishie 
was arranged, and was very greatly enjoyed. But 
there was one troubled heart in the company. "Alas !" 
said the Queen, in quiet confidence to one of her 
attendants, "I fear it will be our last journey to Cairn 
Glaishie." An so, indeed, it proved to be. 

Returning from Balmoral, the royal party made a 
brief stay at Edinburg, where the Prince Consort, ever 
interested in public progress, performed a double 
function which proved, sadly enough, to be among 
his last public services. 



224 THE DARKNESS DEEPENS. 

In the morning he laid the foundation stone of the 
new general postofQce, and in the afternoon he laid 
the foundation stone of the Industrial Museum of 
Scotland. 

On the 19th of November, 1861, Prince Albert 
wrote a kindly letter to his beloved daughter, the 
Crown Princess of Prussia, which proved to be his 
last. Its closing words are beautiful with this paternal 
benediction : 

"May your life, which has begun beautifully, ex- 
pand still further, to the good of others and the con- 
tentment of your own mind." 

The dreary November, the month of "melancholy 
days," moved on. Prince Albert became nervous by 
day and sleepless at night. Everything he did made 
him "tired and weak." But he held bravely on. One 
day he drove in a pouring rain to the Military College 
at Sandhurst to inspect its new buildings. 

A little later, he made a flying visit to Cambridge 
to look after the afifairs of the Prince of Wales. 

The last time he appeared in public was on the 
28th of November, when he went out to see the Eton 
College Volunteers exercised, and had luncheon after- 
wards with them in the conservatory. He returned 
to Windsor Castle sick and weary and worn. "I am 
full of rheumatic pains," he said, "and thoroughly 
unwell !" But the night brought him no rest. 

An event of great national importance was irritating 
the public mind. 

There was a threat of trouble with America. North 
and South were at war, and the Confederated States 
accredited Messrs. Mason and Slidell envoys to Eng- 
land and France — Mr. Mason to England, Mr. Shdell 



THE DARKNESS DEEPENS. 225 

to France. These gentlemen and their secretaries 
had run the blockade from Charleston to Cuba in 
the Confederate steamer Nashville, and had embarked 
in the English steamer Trent, about to return to Eng- 
land from the Havannah. The steamer was inter- 
cepted by the San Jacinto, a Federal ship of war, 
which fired a round shot across the bows of the Trent, 
and then a shell. Her captain had no alternative but 
to bring-to, and the American captain, Wilkes, came 
on board and demanded that the Southern envoys 
should be given up to him. The English mail agent. 
Commander Williams, and the Trent's captain would 
not have pointed them out, but Mr. Slidell ended the 
dispute by coming forward and telling Captain Wilkes 
that he and his friend stood before him. They were 
forcibly removed to the American ship, in spite of the 
protest of Commander Williams. 

This insult to the British flag roused the greatest 
fury in England. Excitement was soon fanned to a 
blaze. "If we bear this, we may bear anything, and 
shall only be worthy of the name of cowards !" This 
was the dictum of the stump-orator. The national 
honor was wounded and "Redress or War !" became 
the angry cry. 

Lord Palmerston wrote to the Queen to say that the 
Cabinet advised Her Majesty to demand reparation 
and redress. 

But Lord Palmerston was not the wisest man of the 
day, as his friends had to admit, and which he very 
abundantly proved again and again. 

The excitement in England was intense. The 
Prince rose from his sleepless bed at dawn on the 

16 



226 THE DARKNESS DEEPENS. 

morning of November 28, to write a draft of a memo- 
randum on the subject which he thought might be 
of use. These were the words he wrote, in pain and 
weakness ; the last he ever penned : 

"The Queen returns these important drafts, which 
upon the whole she approves; but she cannot help 
feeling that the main draft — that for communication 
to the American Government — is somewhat meagre. 
She should have liked to have seen the expression 
of a hope that the American captain did not act under 
instructions, or, if he did, he misapprehended them. 
That the United States Government must be fully 
aware that the British Government could not allow its 
flag to be insulted, and the security of its mail com- 
munications be put in jeopardy; and Her Majesty's 
Government are unwilling to believe that the United 
States Government intended wantonly to put an in- 
sult upon this country, and to add to their many dis- 
tressing complications by forcing a question of dispute 
upon us, and that we are therefore glad to believe 
that upon a full consideration of the circumstances of 
the undoubted breach of international law committed, 
they would spontaneously offer such redress as alone 
could satisfy this country ; viz., the restoration of the 
unfortunate passengers, and a suitable apology." 

The wiser counsels of the Prince Consort prevailed. 
President Lincoln took the course that his clear wis- 
dom discerned was the only course to take. An apol- 
ogy was offered and Slidell and Mason went free. 

It is pleasant to rem.ember that the last official act 
of the Prince Consort was an effort in the direction 
of one of the great dreams of his life — the Amity of 



THE DARKNESS DEEPENS. 227 

Nations. He would have girded the round world 
in the golden bands of love and peace. The old bene- 
diction of Galilee : "Blessed are the Peacemakers" 
rests like a halo around the memory of Prince Al- 
bert. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT. 

But to return to the royal invalid, aweary of life. 
Another night of shivering sleeplessness led to a con- 
sultation between Dr. Jenner and Sir James Clark. 
The medical men did not seem even then to fear the 
fatal low fever. All the next day the Prince lay 
restless and hstless. 

The Queen and the Princess Alice tried to divert 
his mind by reading to him. But, as the Queen says : 
"No book suited him." "Silas Marner" and "The 
Warden" both failed. So the Queen said she would 
"try Sir Walter Scott to-morrow," 

Then came ten weary days and ten sleepless nights. 
Restless and nervous, he was moved from bed to 
couch, and from room to room. But he neither rested 
nor slept. As the Queen bent over him in her loving 
watchful ministry, he would stroke her sorrowful face, 
and then in the simple language of childhood's days 
would gently whisper: "Liebes Franchen," — dear 
little wife ! — and then, faintly smiling, would close his 
weary eyes. 

Music and art had not quite lost all their charms. 
There was a beautiful Madonna, painted on porcelain, 
which the Prince had himself given to the Queen as 
a souvenir of some happy occasion. This was always 
a delight to him. And now, when the morning broke 
dull and gray, he turned his tired eyes to the Madonna, 
and said it helped him through the long, sad d^y ; and 

228 



DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT. 229 

the low sweet voice of the gentle Princess Alice sing- 
ing Luther's grand hymn : 

"Ein' feste Burg is unser Gott" — had power to 
soothe and charm. But a light that never was on sea 
or shore was breaking gently over his spirit. 

The last Sunday Prince Albert passed on earth 
was fraught with most sacred memories for the Prin- 
cess Alice. He was very weak and ill, and his faithful 
daughter spent the afternoon with him while the 
others were at church. He begged to have his sofa 
drawn to the window that he might see the sky and 
the clouds sailing past. He then asked the Princess 
Alice to play to him, and she went through several 
of his favorite hymns and chorales. After she had 
played some time, she looked around and saw him 
lying back, his hands folded as if in prayer, and his 
eyes shut. He lay so long without moving that she 
thought he had fallen asleep. Presently he looked up 
and smiled. She said : 

"Were you asleep, dear papa?" 
"Oh, no," he answered, "only I have such sweet 
thoughts." 

During his illness his hands were often folded as 
if in prayer, and his eyes shut, and when he did not 
speak, those who watched him with tender care knew 
that the thoughts of his heart were sweet and gracious, 
on to the very end. 

Brave, patient, gentle Alice ! She needs no diadem 
or coronet to signalize her greatness. She sits en- 
throned in the hearts of the EngHsh; beloved, hon- 
ored, almost worshiped, because of her filial devotion 
to her dying father. How sacred and sad the memo- 
ries of that December Sabbath afternoon. The dying 



230 DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT. 

father and the gentle daughter all alone ! He would 
have her sing those holy hymns and sacred chorales, 
that were associated with his earliest years and happi- 
est experiences, but now they seemed to be echoes 
of a better land not very far away. And so the gentle 
Alice sang on, sweetly as the nightingale with the 
poignant thorn at her throat, and with an unfathom- 
able sorrow at her heart. Her father lay silent, with 
clasped hands and musing with thoughts that were 
not of earth and time. Still the daughter sang on 
lips all tremulous with the emotion she scarce could 
restrain, sang till the twilight shadows gathered, and 
then escaping for a little space that she might sob 
out her sorrow where her father could not hear, she 
soon returned and hovered around him like the min- 
istering angel she was. 

And this was but the first pathetic service of a life 
that was to turn itself out all too soon in sacrificial 
ministries. 

O rare and gracious Princess, worthy daughter of 
the worthiest of Queens ! Along the pathway of a 
royal sainthood, crowned with the thorns of many 
sorrows, thou hast won for thyself an enduring name ! 
Thy pale brows are girdled with a diadem of good- 
ness, whose luster will never fade ! 

"The overwhelming calamity," as Lord Palmerston 
called the Prince's departure, drew near. 

Princess Alice now summoned the Prince ot Wales 
from Cambridge on her own responsibility. Next 
morning, however, Mr. Brown, of Windsor, the medi- 
cal attendant of the royal family for twenty years, 
told the Queen that he thought the Prince much bet- 
ter, "and that there was ground to hope the crisis was 



DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT, 231 

over," As Mr. Brown knew the Prince's constitu- 
tion well, this news was felt to be very reassuring. 
Unfortunately, the apparent improvement proved only 
to be that brief recovery which frequently comes be- 
fore the end. As the Queen entered the sick room 
on the morning of the 14th, she was more than ever 
struck by the unearthly beauty upon the patient's face. 
His eyes were dazzlingly bright, but they were fixed 
on vacancy, and did not notice her entrance. 

"It was a bright morning," says the Queen, "the 
sun just rising, and shining brightly. Never can I for- 
get how beautiful my darling looked, lying with his 
face lit up by the rising sun, his eyes, unusually bright, 
gazing, as it were, on unseen objects, and not taking 
any notice of me." 

The medical men were now extremely anxious, and 
to the Queen's inquiry whether she might go out for 
a breath of air, responded : "Yes, just close by for 
a quarter of an hour." Going out upon one of the 
terraces with the Princess Alice, they heard a band 
playing in the distance, whereupon the Queen burst 
into tears and returned to the Castle. 

Although Sir James Clark said he had seen a recov- 
ery in worse cases, the Queen gave way to despair as 
she saw the dusky hue stealing over her husband's 
face. Some hours passed without further change. In 
the afternoon, after the Prince had been wheeled into 
the middle of the room, the Queen went up to him and 
saw with dismay that his life was fast ebbing away. 

Here is the last scene told from her memoranda : 

"About half-past five I went back to his room and 
sat down by the side of his bed, which had been 
wheeled into the middle of his chamber. 'Gutes 



232 DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT. 

Frauchen,' he said, and kissed me ; and then gave a 
sort of piteous moan, or rather sigh, not of pain, but 
as if he felt he were leaving me, and laid his head 
upon my shoulder, and I put my arm under his. Then 
he seemed to doze and to wander. Sometimes he 
spoke French. Alice came in and kissed him, and 
he took her hand. Bertie, Helena, Louise and Ar- 
thur came in one after the other and took his hand, 
and Arthur kissed it. But he was dozing, and did not 
perceive it. Then those of his household came in 
and kissed his hand, dreadfully overcome. Thank 
God I was able to command myself, and to remain 
perfectly calm and sitting by his side." 

Late in the night the Queen retired a few moments 
into her own chamber, whence she was recalled by 
the Prince's breathing growing more difficult. Bend- 
ing over him, she whispered "Es ist kleines Frauchen." 
He bowed his head and kissed her. 

The Castle clock struck a quarter to eleven on 
the evening of the 14th of December, 1861. The 
weary, restless sufiferer grew calm and peaceful. Two 
or three long gentle breaths, and all was over. "That 
great soul," says his biographer, "had fled to seek a 
nobler scope for its aspirations, in the world within 
the veil, for which it had often yearned, where there 
is rest for the weary, and where the spirits of just men 
are made perfect." 

Never was known anything like the amazement 
and grief of the people when the fatal news spread 
through the land. The following day was Sunday, 
and the sobs of the congregations testified to the thrill 
of pain and grief that went through them when the 
Prince's name was omitted, and they knew that he 



DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT. 233: 

needed no more their prayers. For the Queen the 
supplications of her people were heartfelt and fervent. 

The sorrow of the Queen no words could paint. 
How great her loss was, time could only more and 
more reveal; and yet, at the very first, it was crushing. 
It is said that Her Majesty's tearless agony alarmed 
the doctors for her life ; but that tears were at length 
won by bringing the little Princess Beatrice to her 
maternal arms; then the fountains of her grief were 
loosed, and reason and life were saved. 

The physicians urged Her Majesty to quit the Cas- 
tle as soon as possible, but for some time she could 
not be persuaded to leave the dear form lying in the 
calm and beautiful majesty of death. But the neces- 
sity of removing her children — the duty she owed 
to her people of preserving her life for them — were 
arguments not urged in vain. The Queen was led by 
her son the Prince of Wales from the Castle, and 
sought seclusion and the indulgence of her natural 
grief in Osborne. 

The news of her father's death was telegraphed to 
the Princess Royal at Berlin. 

The young Prince Leopold was at Cannes. He 
was in great grief over the death of his Governor, 
General Bowater, who had just died and was now 
lying in a chamber next to that of His Royal High- 
ness. The message of the greater sorrow was di- 
rected to the dead General. When it was opened, 
it was found to contain these four sad words : 

"Prince Albert is dead!" 

The anguish of the young Prince knew no bounds. 
It seemed impossible that the awful message could be 
true. 



234 DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT. 

"My mother ! I must go to my mother !" he cried 
in sobs and tears. ''My mother will bring him back 
again ! Oh ! I want my mother." 

"All diversities of social rank and feeling were 
united in one spontaneous manifestation of sympathy 
with the widowed Queen and the bereaved family ; 
for the loss of the husband and father was instinctively 
felt to be as grievous to the most exalted rank as 
to the humblest. The highest family in the realm had 
lost, indeed, with scarce a warning or a presentiment 
of woe, the manly soul, the warm heart, the steady 
judgment, the fertile mind, the tender voice and the 
firm hand that for twenty-one years had led and 
guided and cheered them through the trials and dan- 
gers inseparable from theirs, as from every position. 
Through a period of many trials he had been the 
dearest friend and most devoted servant of his Sover- 
eign ; while it was known to her subjects that Her 
Majesty fully valued the blessing of the love and care 
of so good and so wise a husband and companion." 

The funeral of Prince Albert took place in St. 
George's Chapel at Windsor on the 23rd of Decem- 
ber. It was a stately, solemn company that gathered 
together that bleak, sad winter day. The Knights of 
the Garter were in their stalls, and representatives 
of the nobility and the higher clergy were grouped 
together. The members of the Cabinet, Foreign 
Ambassadors, the members of the Royal Household, 
and representatives of all foreign States related by 
blood or marriage to the late Prince, were present. 

The chief mourner was the Prince of Wales, who 
was supported by his brother. Prince Arthur, who 
was a boy of eleven years of age. 



DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT. 235 

There were also present the Duke of Saxe-Coburg, 
the Prince's brother; the Crown Prince of Prussia; 
the sons of the King of the Belgians, Prince Louis 
of Havre, Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar, Count 
Gleichen, the Due de Nemours, and the Maharajah 
Dhuleep Singh. 

When the casket arrived, bouquets from Osborne 
were placed upon it. The bouquet of violets with a 
white camellia in the center, was from the Queen. At 
the head of the coffin stood the Prince of Wales with 
his brother and uncle. At the foot stood the Lord 
Chamberlain, while the other mourners were all 
grouped around. The solemn service for the dead 
was read by the Dean of Windsor. The sorrow of 
the Princes who mourned the best of fathers, and of 
the Duke of Saxe-Coburg who mourned the noblest 
of brothers, greatly aflfected the spectators. The 
Prince of Wales tried to speak a few comforting words 
to his brother Arthur, but his utterances were almost 
choked by his own grief. 

As the body was committed to its resting place in 
the vault, says an eye-witness, a guard of honor of 
the Grenadier Guards, of which the Prince Consort 
had been colonel, presented arms, and minute-guns 
were fired at intervals by Horse Artillery in the Long 
Walk. The Thirty-ninth Psalm, Luther's Hymn, and 
two chorales were sung during the funeral service 
and while the coffin was uncovered and lowered in the 
grave. During the last moments the spectacle was 
very touching. The two Princes hid their faces and 
sobbed bitterly, and almost every other person pres- 
ent was overcome by his emotion. It was a solemn 
period when the coffin began slowly to sink into the 



236 DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT. 

vault ; the half-stifled sobs of the mourners were audi- 
ble from all parts of the choir. The silence could al- 
most be felt as the cofBn gradually descended and 
finally disappeared from view. The service being 
concluded, Garter King-at-Arms advanced to the head 
of the vault, and proclaimed the style and titles of the 
deceased Prince. When he came to the prayer for 
Her ^Majesty, for the first time during her reign the 
word "happiness" was left out, and only the blessings 
of "life and honor" were besought for her. x\s the 
strains of the Dead IMarch in Saul pealed forth, the 
mourners advanced to take a last look into the deep 
vault. The Prince of Wales approached first, and 
stood for one brief moment with hands clasped, look- 
ing down ; then all his fortitude suddenly deserted 
him, and bursting into a flood of tears, he hid his 
face, and was led away by the Lord Chamberlain. 
Prince Arthur now seemed more composed than his 
elder brother ; it seemed as though his unrestrained 
grief had exhausted itself in tears and sobs. Heart- 
felt sorrow was depicted on the face of every mourner, 
as one by one they slowly left the side of the vault. 

The death of the Prince Consort was a great shock 
to Princess Mary of Teck. To the Princess, her 
cousin "Albert" was always an esteemed friend, and, 
when the sudden blow of his death fell in 1861 she 
hastened at once to Windsor. She thus describes the 
first sad day : 

At 8 130 I received the terrible tidings communi- 
cated by a telegram * * * that poor, dear Albert 
had breathed his last shortly before 11 o'clock on 
the preceding night. The poor, unhappy Queen ! 
How will she ever bear it ? And those poor children, 



DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT. 237 

to whom he was everything ! God help them ! * * * 
Little did we dream last night, with all our fears, of 
the terrible scene that was just then passing at Wind- 
sor ! and that he, v/ho had been the ruHng head, the 
life of that family and household, and the idol of our 
poor, beloved Queen, had gone to his long rest. 

* * * Left for Windsor, * * * where we ar- 
rived just before 3 o'clock. We walked up the hun- 
dred steps to the Castle, which, with all its blinds 
drawn down, looked dreary and dismal, indeed. * * 

* * We came upon poor Alice, Helena, Louise and 
Arthur, who all broke down at sight of me, though 
they strove to regain composure, and to remain as 
calm as possible for their widowed mother's sake. 
Ahce hurried me to the poor Queen's door, in the 
hope she would see me, but came out again with 
the message, "She had not the heart to see me that 
day." * * * Wales * * * took me later to 
see poor, dear Albert. He lay on a small bed in 
the blue room (a wreath of white flowers at the head, 
and single ones laid on his breast, and scattered on the 
white coverlid). With a bursting heart I gazed on 
those handsome features, more beautiful far than in 
life, on which death had set so soft a seal that it 
seemed almost as if he were sleeping, and looked my 
tearful last on them ! The eyelids were scarcely closed, 
and there was a smile on the lips, which, I like to 
think, told (as I fondly hoped and prayed it might) 
of happiness beyond the grave. 

It is one of the necessities of royal position, says 
Justin McCarthy, that marriage should be seldom the 
union of hearts. The choice is limited by considera- 
tions, which do not afifect people in private life. The 



238 DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT. 

convenience of states has to be taken into account; 
the possible hkings and disHkings of people whom 
perhaps the bride and bridegroom have never seen, 
and are never destined to see. A marriage among 
princes is, in nine cases out of ten, a marriage of con- 
venience only. Seldom, indeed, is it made, as that of 
the Queen was, wholly out of love. Seldom is it even 
in love-matches when the instincts of love are not 
deceived and the affection grows stronger with the 
days. Every one knew that this had been the strange 
good fortune of the Queen of England. There was 
something poetic, romantic in the sympathy with 
which so many faithful and loving hearts turned to her 
in her hour of unspeakable distress. 

The Prince Consort was little more than forty-two 
years of age when he died. He had always seemed 
to be in good, although not perhaps robust health, 
and he had led a singularly temperate life. No one 
in the Kingdom seemed less likely to be prematurely 
cut ofif; and his death came on the whole country 
with the shock of an utter surprise. The regret was 
universal ; and the deepest regret was for the wife 
he had loved so dearly, and whom he was condemned 
so soon to leave behind. Every testimony has spoken 
to the singularly tender and sweet afifection of the 
loving home the Queen and Prince had made for 
themselves. A domestic happiness rare even among 
the obscurest was given to them. 

The press through the length and breadth of the 
land "made haste" to express its deep sorrow for 
the widowed Queen, and its unfeigned appreciation 
of the high character of the Prince who had just 
passed away. 



DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT. 239 

The Times newspaper, the chief journal of the na- 
tion, was always independent and fearless, and it 
should be added generally just in its treatment of 
public characters, had never failed to appreciate the 
high-toned, manly sincerity of Prince Albert. The 
editor and the Prince had not always been in perfect 
accord, but there had always been perfect agreement 
as to mutual respect, and in those great movements 
— in which Prince Albert had delighted — for the ad- 
vancement of the nation and the universal well-being 
of its people, he had found that great journal a judi- 
cious adviser and a faithful ally. 

"I saw the poor Queen," says Lady Bloomfield, "on 
the Monday following the terrible event, and I cannot 
describe to you the misery of that meeting. I felt 
myself in the presence of a sorrow too sacred for 
words, and with the deepest, tenderest sympathy 
could in nowise alleviate. Her voice in its touching 
plaintiveness wrung my heart, and her voice and man- 
ner quite overcame me. I saw that her life had passed 
away with his, and that henceforth she would drag 
on a weary existence alone. * * * Helena wrote 
me word yesterday that she sleeps well now, which 
is a great blessing, as also that she takes exercise ; 
but I hear that she is grown thin and pale. Poor 
thing! She says that her life henceforth will be one 
of labor; that she will toil on, for her happiness in 
this life is all gone. I have had a heartrending letter 
of eight pages from her." 

Speaking of the happy influence the Prince Con- 
sort exerted on the best interests of the nation, the 
Right Hon. Benjamin Disraeli said: 

'T think posterity will acknowledge that he height- 



240 DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT. 

ened the intellectual and moral standard of this coun- 
try, that he extended and expanded the sympathies of 
all classes, and that he most beneficially adapted the 
productive powers of England to the inexhaustible 
resources of science and art. * * * He was not 
one of those, who, by their smiles and by their gold, 
reward excellence or stimulate exertion. His con- 
tributions to the cause of progress were far more 
powerful and far more precious. He gave to it his 
time, his thought, his toil. He gave to it his life." 

In the month of April, 1862, Mr. Gladstone was 
invited to open a new Mechanics' Institute, in the 
City of Manchester. The Right Hon. Gentleman took 
the opportunity thus afforded of paying a high tribute 
to the life and character of the late Prince Consort. 
We quote a part of that address : 

"His comprehensive gaze ranged to and fro be- 
tween the base and the summit of society, and ex- 
amined the interior forces by which it is kept at once 
in balance and in motion. In his well-ordered life 
there seemed to be room for all things — for every 
manly exercise, for the study and practice of art, for 
the exacting cares of a splendid court, for minute 
attention to every domestic and paternal duty, for ad- 
vice and aid toward the discharge of public business 
in its innumerable forms, and for meeting the vol- 
untary calls for an active philanthropy ; one day in 
considering the best form for the dwellings of the 
people ; another day in bringing his just and gentle 
influence to bear on the relations of master and do- 
mestic servant ; another in suggesting and supplying 
the means of culture for the most numerous classes ; 
another in some good work of almsgiving or religion. 




Duke Saxe-Coburg. Prince of Wales. Duke of York. 



■Tyr'fitWf'^<^i?.i^^^"^'^'^:'^ ■" 





PRINCESS ROYAL. 
[Afterward Empress of Germany.] 



DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT. 241 

Nor was it a merely external activity which he dis- 
played. His mind, it is evident, was too deeply ear- 
nest to be satisfied in anything, smaller or greater, 
with resting on the surface. With a strong grasp on 
practical life in all its forms, he united a habit of 
thought eminently philosophic, ever referring facts 
to their causes, and pursuing action to its conse- 
quences. Gone though he be from among us, he, 
like other worthies of mankind who have preceded 
him, is not altogether gone ; for, in the words of the 
poet — 

Your heads must come 

To the cold tomb. 

Only the actions of the just 

Smell sweet and blossom in the dust. 

"So he has left all men, in all classes, many a useful 
lesson, to be learned from the record of his life and 
character. 

"Perhaps no sharper stroke ever cut human lives 
asunder than that which parted, so far as this world 
of sense is concerned, the lives of the Queen of Eng- 
land and of her chosen Consort. It had been obvious 
to us all, though necessarily in different degrees, that 
they were blessed with the possession of the secret of 
reconciling the discharge of incessant and wearing 
public duty with the cultivation of the inner and do- 
mestic life. The attachment that binds together wife 
and husband was known to be, in their case, and to 
have been from the first, of an unusual force. Through 
more than twenty years, which flowed past like one 
long unclouded summer day, that attachment was 
cherished, exercised and strengthened, by all the 
forms of family interest, by all the associated pursuits 

16 



242 DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT. 

of highly cultivated minds, by all the cares and re- 
sponsibilities which surround the throne, and which 
the Prince was called, in his own sphere, both to 
alleviate and to share. On the one side, such love is 
rare, even in the annals of the love of woman ; on the 
other, such service can hardly find a parallel, for it is 
hard to know how a husband could render it to a wife, 
unless that wife were also Queen." 

"Over the tomb of such a man many tears might 
fall, but not one could be a tear of bitterness. These 
examples of rare intelligence, yet more rarely culti- 
vated, with their great duties greatly done, are not 
lights kindled for a moment, in order then to be 
quenched in the blackness of darkness. While they 
pass elsewhere to attain their consummation, they live 
on here in their good deeds, and their venerated 
memories in their fruitful example. As even a fine 
figure may be eclipsed by a gorgeous costume, so dur- 
ing life the splendid accompaniments of a Prince Con- 
sort's position may for the common eye throw the 
qualities of his mind and character, his true humanity, 
into the shade. These hindrances to efifectual percep- 
tion are now removed ; and we can see, like the forms 
of a Greek statue, severely pure in their bath of south- 
ern light, all his extraordinary gifts and virtues ; his 
manly force tempered with gentleness, playfulness 
and love; his intense devotion to duty; his pursuit of 
the practical, with an unfailing thought of the ideal ; 
his combined allegiance to beauty and to truth ; the 
elevation of his aims, with his painstaking care and 
thrift of time, and methodizing of life, so as to waste 
no particle of his appliances and powers. His exact 
place in the hierarchy of bygone excellence it is not 



DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT. 243 

for us to determine; but none can doubt that it is a 
privilege which, in the revolution of years, but rarely 
returns, to find such graces and such gifts of mind, 
heart, character and person, united in one and the 
same individual, and set so steadily and firmly upon 
a pedestal of such giddy height, for the instruction 
and admiration of mankind." 

Sir Robert Peel regarded Prince Albert as one of 
the most extraordinary young men he had ever met. 

Her Majesty thus graciously refers to Dr. Norman 
Macleod's tribute to the late Prince Consort : 

"I have had the privilege of reading the beautiful 
address delivered on the last sad anniversary of our 
loss, by Dr. Macleod, to three of the Prince's chil- 
dren — the Crown Princess of Prussia, Princess Louis 
of Hesse and Prince Alfred. How must their hearts 
have burned within them while they listened to the 
following glowing summary of their great father's 
character : 

"* * * Yet in trying circumstances which con- 
stantly demanded from him a positive opinion, advice, 
decision and action, on afifairs of state and matters of 
world interest — in addition to those duties, themselves 
extremely onerous, belonging to his domestic and 
social life, the Prince not only came out of every or- 
deal unscathed, but triumphant and nobler than be- 
fore. Who ever heard one whisper breathed against 
his moral character? What false step in politics did 
he ever take? What wrong advice on any subject 
did he ever tender ? What movement, great or small, 
did he originate which was not beneficial to the State 
and worthy of our honor and our greatness? What 
enemies did he ev^r make, • unless possibly among 



244 DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT. 

such persons as have no sympathy with goodness, 
truth or justice in any man ? So completely did he be- 
come identified with all that was worth loving in 
the nation ; so intuitively did he discern its wants, and 
those points on which, while preserving all that was 
good, true progress toward something better was 
possible, and therefore desirable — that all classes, all 
interests, claimed him as their leader. Commerce, 
agriculture, science, arts, the cottage and the camp, 
the great men in the nation, as well as the domestic 
servant and the ragged child, recognized in him their 
wisest guide and truest friend. For the attainment 
of whatever could benefit them, 'the Prince of all the 
land led them on.' 

"* * * Few men who have ever lived, no prince 
certainly of whom we read, could have possessed a 
mind so many-sided with such corresponding political 
and social influence. He was, indeed, the type of a 
new era — an era of power ; but not of that kind of 
power represented by the armor of his noble ances- 
tors, the power of mere physical strength, courage, 
or endurance, displayed at the head of armies or of 
fleets, but the m.oral power of character, the power of 
intellectual culture, of extensive knowledge, of earn- 
est thought ; the power of the sagacious statesman, of 
the single-minded good man ; that power which dis- 
cerns, interprets, and guides the wants and the spirit 
of the age — the power, in short, of highest wisdom 
directed by genuine benevolence to higher objects. 

" * 5i? * jjjg j-g^i strength lay most of all in his 
character, or in that which resulted from will and de- 
liberate choice, springing out of a nature singularly 
pure, by God's grace, from childhood. 



DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT. 245 

" * * * It is only now, when he is gone, that 
all who knew him are made to feel how much they un- 
consciously depended upon him! like a staff on which 
the weak have been so long accustomed to lean, that 
they know not how essential it was to their support un- 
til it be removed, and when with a sigh they withdraw 
the hand from the place, now empty, where it was 
wont to be ! 

"It is this feature in the Prince's character," Dr. 
Macleod adds, "which ought to make every one sym- 
pathize to the very utmost with Her Majesty, who, of 
all persons on earth, had the best means of knowing it, 
and the best means of proving it in a thousand ways 
in every-day life, and who had the best grounds, there- 
fore, for appreciating its constancy, its tenderness, its 
unfailing strength." And well may the eloquent 
preacher appeal to "every true English heart or con- 
science" to acknowledge the demand which "now 
arises in mute eloquence from the throne for the sym- 
pathy, the prayers, the loyal self-sacrificing aid of every 
member of her house, and of every citizen of our 
Christian nation, on her behalf whom God, in His 
Providence, has been pleased to spare, and in mercy 
to continue to us, as our beloved Sovereign," 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



THE WIDOWED QUEEN. 

If the Queen in her days of happiness and pros- 
perity was dear to the heart of her people, she became 
a thousand times more so when the shadow of death 
had fallen upon her home and taken away mother 
and husband and left her at forty years desolate, — 
a widow at forty ! with nine fatherless children to 
care for, and the interests of her growing Empire on 
her hands. Jean Ingelow, one of the sweetest poets 
of Her Majesty's reign, has drawn a picture of the 
desolation of widowhood which fitly sets forth the 
heart-breaking sorrows that must form henceforth an 
inseparable element in Victoria's lonely life. 

"I sleep and rest, my heart makes moan, 

Before I am well awake; 
'Let me bleed! O let me alone. 
Since I must not break.' 

For children wake, though fathers sleep 
With a stone at foot and at head: 

sleepless God, forever keep — 
Keep both living and dead!" 

1 lift mine eyes, and what to see 
But a world happy and fair! 

I have not wished it to mourn with me — 
Comfort is not there. 

O what anear but golden brooms, 

And a waste of reedy rills! 
O what afar but the fine glooms 

On the rare blue hills! 

246 



THE WIDOWED QUEEN. 247 

I shall not die, but live forlore — 
How bitter it is to part! 

to meet thee, my love, once more! 
O my heart, my heart! 

No more to hear, no more to see! 

that an echo might wake 

And waft one note of thy psalm to me 
Ere my heart-strings break! 

1 should know it how faint soe'er, 
And with angel voices blent; 

O once to feel thy spirit anear; 

1 could be content! 

Or once between the gates of gold, 

While an entering angel trod, 
But once — thee sitting to behold 

On the hills of God! 

Her Majesty spent the first three months of her 
widowhood in absolute retirement at Osborne, where 
she was greatly comforted by her beloved half-sister, 
the Princess Hohenlohe, who had hastened from Ger- 
many to her side. The Princess told Dean Stanley 
that the Queen found "her only comfort in the belief 
that her husband's spirit was close beside her — for he 
had promised her that it should be so ;" and she fur- 
ther related that the Queen would go each morning 
to visit the cows on the Prince's model farm, because 
he used to do it, and she fancied the gentle creatures 
would miss him. King Leopold of Belgium, ever Her 
Majesty's support and counsellor, as he had been that 
of her widowed mother, was also at Osborne at this 
time ; but even with near and trusted relations certain 
reserve and etiquette had to be observed by the 
Queen, and one can understand the bitterness of her 
cry, "There is no one left to call me 'Victoria' now." 



248 THE WIDOWED QUEEN, 

Mother and husband had both been taken within a 
year, and the old royal family, those elderly aunts and 
uncles who had been about her in her youth, were 
passing one by one into the silent land. 

But in the midst of her deep and poignant grief the 
heart of the Queen beat quick and tenderly for the 
sorrows of others. Just at this time an appalling ac- 
cident occurred at a colliery at Hartford, near New- 
castle-on-Tyne. By the breaking of an immense iron 
beam two hundred and fifty men were buried in the 
mine. All efforts to save them were vain. In one sad 
hour, the men of three hamlets were all swept into 
eternity; and the women and children were left to 
weep and wail for those who would never come back 
to their lowly homes again. 

The Queen was much touched by the relation of 
this disaster. She sent the following message to the 
widows and children thus left desolate : — 

"Her Majesty's tenderest sympathy is with the 
poor widows and mothers, and her own misery only 
makes her feel the more for them. Her Majesty hopes 
that everything will be done as far as possible to alle- 
viate their distress ; and Her Majesty will have sad 
satisfaction in assisting in such a measure." 

A subscription was set on foot headed by the Queen 
for the relief of these bereaved families which resulted 
in a fund amounting to $450,000. 

In reading the letters and memoirs of courtiers of 
this period, it is evident that they felt that the Queen 
had well-nigh received her death-blow; all speak of 
her calm, pathetic sorrow being heart-breaking to wit- 
ness. Amongst others, Lord Shaftesbury writes at 
this time : "The desolation of the Queen's heart and 



THE WIDOWED QUEEN. 249 

life, the death-blow to her happiness on earth! God 
in His mercy sustain and comfort ! The disruption of 
domestic existence, unprecedented in royal history, 
the painful withdrawal of a prop, the removal of a 
counsellor, a friend in all public and private affairs, 
the sorrows she has, the troubles that await her — all 
rend my heart as though the suffering were my own." 

Victoria was a broken-hearted woman, and all the 
more desolate it would seem because she was a Queen. 
It was almost impossible for her to find a secret place 
for sorrow. She was too much in the public eye, too 
much in the public thought to know the sacred solace 
of being alone with her grief. There is a silence that 
helps the storm-tossed soul more than all speech ; 
there are secret places and peaceful retreats, where, in 
quietude and confidence, the troubled soul may gather 
strength ; but these healing silences, and these calm 
retreats were not for the Queen. It was not only her 
Court that was in mourning, but the nation was in 
tears. The sighs and moans of her sympathetic peo- 
ple ebbed and flowed in rhythmic sadness forever in 
her ears. 

The Countess Blucher, who spent a little time at 
Windsor Castle shortly after the death of the Prince 
Consort, said that though Her Majesty was a touching 
illustration of the spirit of unmurmuring resignation, 
even declaring that "the blow had come from God ;" 
still the blow was none the less crushing; the eclipse 
was not a partial but a total eclipse, absorbing in its 
awful darkness all joy and peace and hope. In these 
sad days. Her Majesty had a photograph taken of her 
children and herself surrounding a bust of the late 
Prince Consort, under which she wrote these brief, 



250 THE WIDOWED QUEEN. 

pregnant, pathetic words : "Day is turned into night," 
The Queen was proving what tens of thousands are 
proving every day, in the palaces of the great, and the 
cottages of the poor, that 

Not all the preaching since Adam 
Can make death other than death. 

In 1862, Her Majesty wisely engaged in a literary 
task that was at once congenial and helpful. She had 
found great solace and comfort in her days of anguish 
by the perusal of Zschokke's famous German work : 
"Stunden der Andacht" — Hours of Devotion. From 
these pages the Queen compiled a souvenir for the 
sorrowful, composed of a series of hopeful, inspiring 
passages, on death and immortality, and kindred 
themes. The little volume was only designed for pri- 
vate circulation among members of her family and 
private friends. In the preface the Queen speaks very 
modestly of this charming little book of sacred medi- 
tations as having been compiled by "one to whom in 
deep and overwhelming sorrow they have proved a 
source of comfort and edification." Many of these se- 
lections were specially dear to Her Majesty, from the 
fact that they had been favorites with Prince Albert 
for many years. So the hours of the Queen's sorrow 
brought forth good fruit, and these leaves, from 
"Stunden der Andacht" proved to be "leaves for the 
healings" of many a bereaved and troubled soul. 

In February, 1862, the Prince of Wales started on 
a tour through Palestine and Egypt, accompanied by 
Dr. A. P. Stanley, afterwards Dean of Westminster. 
The journey was most delightful and instructive. The 
Prince returned on the 14th of June, in time to be 



THE WIDOWED QUEEN. 251 

present at the wedding of his sister, the Princess Alice 
to Prince Louis of Hesse-Darmstadt. 

About this time George Peabody, the American 
milUonaire and philanthropist, gave the handsome sum 
of $500,000 to the poor of London, placing it in the 
hands of trustees for them. From it the model lodg- 
ing-houses have been built. The Queen, who felt 
the obligation for her people, wished to have made 
the munificent donor a baronet, but as a RepubHcan 
he could not accept the honor, therefore Her Majesty 
wrote her thanks in an autograph, accompanied by a 
portrait of herself. The generous American added to 
his former gift the munificent sum of $2,000,000. Vis- 
itors to London should make a point of getting a 
glimpse of Peabody's model lodging-houses. 

In August the widowed Queen paid a visit to her 
beloved Balmoral. Always a sacred place to her, Bal- 
moral was to be henceforth both sad and sacred, 
linked as it was with the tenderest memories of the 
beloved dead. The Queen writes thus : 

"Balmoral, Thursday, August 21, 1862. 

"At eleven o'clock started off in the little pony- 
chair (drawn by the Corriemulzie pony, and led by 
Brown), Bertie, who had come over from Birkhall, on 
foot, the two girls on ponies, and the two little boys, 
who joined us later, for Craig Lowrigan ; and I actu- 
ally drove in the little carriage to the very top, turning 
off from the path and following the track where the 
carts had gone. Grant and Duncan pushed the car- 
riage behind. Sweet Baby (Beatrice) we found at the 
top. The view was so fine, the day so bright, and the 
heather so beautifully pink — but no pleasure, no joy ! 
all dead! 



252 THE WIDOWED QUEEN. 

"And here at the top is the foundation of the cairn — 
forty feet wide — to be erected to my precious Albert, 
which will be seen all down the valley. I and my poor 
six orphans all placed stones on it ; and our initials, 
as well as those of the three absent ones, are to be 
carved on stones all round it. I felt very shaky and 
nervous. 

"It is to be thirty-five feet high, and the following 
inscription to be placed on it : 

TO THE BELOVED MEMORY 

OF 

ALBERT, THE GREAT AND GOOD PRINCE CONSORT, 

RAISED BY HIS BROKEN-HEARTED WIDOW 

VICTORIA R. 

August 21, 1862. 



"He being made perfect in a short time fulfilled a long time; 
For his soul pleased the Lord, 
Therefore hastened He to take him 
Away from among the wicked." 

Wisdom of Solomon, iv. ; 13, 14. 

"Walked down to where the rough road is, and this 
first short attempt at walking in the heather shook 
me and tired me much." 

During this visit Her Majesty sought the strong 
sympathy and wise counsel of her devoted chaplain. 
Dr. Norman Macleod. The Doctor, describing the 
interview, says : 

"After dinner I was summoned unexpectedly to the 
Queen. She was alone. She met me, and with an 



THE WIDOWED QUEEN. 253 

unutterably sad expression, which filled my eyes with 
tears, at once began to speak about the Prince. It is 
impossible for me to recall distinctly the sequence or 
substance of that long conversation. She spoke of 
his excellencies, his love, his cheerfulness, how he was 
everything to her. She said she never shut her eyes 
to trials, but liked to look them in the face ; how she 
would never shrink from duty ; but that all was at 
present done mechanically; that her highest ideas of 
purity and love were obtained from him; and that 
God would not be displeased with her love. But there 
was nothing morbid in her grief. I spoke freely to her 
about all I felt regarding him, the love of the nation 
and their sympathy, and took every opportunity of 
bringing before her the reality of God's love and sym- 
pathy, her noble calling as a Queen, the value of her 
life to the nation, the blessedness of prayer." 

After a little time Dr. McLeod received a touching 
letter from his bereaved Sovereign, thanking him for 
his kind, Vv^ise^ sympathy. 

A few days afterwards the Queen, with two of her 
daughters and the Prince of Wales, started out on 
foot, accompanied by the faithful Grant, to visit Craig- 
Lowen, the old cairn of 1852, associated intimately 
with the memory of the late Prince. Grant said : "I 
thought you would like to have to-day, on his birth- 
day !" The Queen adds : "So entirely was he of opin- 
ion that this beloved day, the 26th of August, and even 
the 14th of December must not be looked upon as 
days of mourning. That's not the light to look at it,' 
said Grant. There is so much true and strong faith 
in these good, simple people." 



CHAPTER XIX. 



BUSY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW. 

The interest of the country now becomes centered 
chiefly on the Prince of Wales, who has already won 
great popularity with the English people. His Royal 
Highness came of age on Sunday, the 9th of Novem- 
ber, 1863. There were great demonstrations of 
loyal delight both in London and the provinces. 

The question of his marriage had greatly interested 
Prince Albert, who was much in favor of his alliance 
with the Princess Alexandria of Denmark. That 
gracious lady paid a brief visit to the Queen at 
Osborne and then returned to Denmark. The Queen 
had first seen the Princess while on a brief visit to 
King Leopold at Laeken. It has always been under- 
stood that from the very first, the Queen was greatly 
attached to the wife of the Heir-Apparent, and that 
in later years she has come to idolize her, for her 
wifely, motherly, womanly qualities. During this 
brief visit to Germany, Her Majesty was joined at 
Thuringia by the Prince and Princess of Prussia, 
Prince Louis of Hesse and the Princess Alice and 
Prince Alfred. 

On the 4th of November, the Queen gave her con- 
sent to the marriage of the Prince of Wales with the 
Princess Alexandra of Denmark. 

On the 1 8th of December the last sad office of the 
year was performed. The remains of the lamented 

254 



BUSY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW. 255 

Prince Consort were removed from the vault under 
St. George's Chapel to the mausoleum at Frogmore. 
This sacred resting-place of the beloved Prince is 
massive and stately. The exterior is of Aberdeen 
granite, the interior is gracefully decorated with mar^ 
bles and colored stones, relieved with statuary; be- 
neath the dome the sarcophagus of the Prince is 
placed, upon which rests a recumbent figure of the 
deceased wrought by Baron Marochetti. The Prince 
of Wales and his brothers and Prince Louis of Hesse 
followed the remains to the final resting-place. There 
was a brief service, and then a number of wreaths of 
flowers, woven by the hands of the sorrowing Prin- 
cesses, were arranged "to rest over the breast of 
the fondest and noblest of fathers." 

As the year came, to a close the Duchess of Suther- 
land presented to the Queen on behalf of countless 
"loyal English widows" a sumptuously bound copy of 
the Bible. Her Majesty was greatly touched by this 
token of sympathy and love from the sad-hearted com- 
pany of widows, and wrote in reply : 

"My dearest Duchess, — I am deeply touched by the 
gift of a Bible 'from many widows,' and by the very 
kind and afifectionate address which accompanied it. 

* * * Pray express to all these kind sister- 
widows the deep and heartfelt gratitude of their wid- 
owed Queen, who can never feel grateful enough for 
the universal sympathy she has received, and contin- 
ues to receive, from her loyal and devoted subjects." 

The great event of this year, 1863, was the marriage 
of the Prince of Wales. His Royal Highness, in the 
month of February, took the oath and his seat in the 
House of Lords. The Princess Alexandra landed at 



256 BUSY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW. 

Gravesend on the 7th of March, and never in her his- 
tory of a thousand years has England given such a 
welcome as was given to this "Sea-King's daugh- 
ter from over the sea," the marriage of which 
an account will be given further on, was cel- 
ebrated in St. George's Chapel, Windsor, with 
great pomp, on the loth of March. The Princes of 
the blood, the Knights of the Garter were present in 
their gorgeous robes, the Queen viewed the ceremony 
from the royal closet of the chapel. 

In May, of 1863, the Queen went to Balmoral and 
visited the Prince's cairn for the first time after its 
completion. "I went out," says the Queen, "in a little 
carriage, — Donald Stewart leading the pony, as John 
Brown was unwell — with Lenchen and Dr. Robert- 
son, and drove up to the cairn on the top of Craig 
Lowrigan, which is a fine, sharp pyramid, admirably 
constructed out of granite, without any mortar. The 
inscription is very well engraved and placed. There 
is a good path made to the top of the hill. 

The Princess Alice spent Easter at Windsor Castle 
with her mother. On Easter Sunday her first girl 
was born, who was christened Victoria, 

The first proposal of the Queen to appear any- 
where in public was that she should visit Netley Hos- 
pital — Her Majesty was then at Osborne. The wish 
was eagerly assented to ; her daughters rejoiced that 
she had made it. She was accompanied by the Princess 
Alice. The galleries of the hospital are a quarter of a 
mile long, and the medical authorities there thought 
that after the Queen had visited one she might save 
herself from the fatigue of walking through the oth- 
ers, but she replied simply, as if it were an unanswer- 




PRINCESS BEATRICE. 




DUKE OF CONNAUGHT. 



BUSY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW. 257 

able reason for going, "The poor men would be dis- 
appointed if I did not go to see them," 

She spoke kindly to the men. One old man who 
had served in India, and who knew that he was dying, 
said to her, "I thank God that He has let me live to 
see Your Majesty with my own eyes." The Queen 
and Princess were both affected. 

In October of this year a large party of the Queen's 
children assembled with their royal mother at Balmo- 
ral. An excursion was arranged, consisting of the 
Queen, the Princesses Alice and Helena, and the at- 
tendants. Smith and Brown, and a little black serving 
boy. The Queen says, she started for Clova "with a 
heavy heart." We quote what followed from the 
Queen's Journal: 

"Wednesday, October 7, 1863. 

"A hazy morning. I decided by Alice's advice, with 
a heavy heart, to make the attempt to go to Clova. At 
half-past twelve drove with Alice and Lenchen to 
Altnagiuthasach, where we lunched, having warmed 
some broth and boiled some potatoes, and then rode 
up and over the Capel Month in frequent slight snow- 
showers. All the high hills white with snow, and the 
view of the green Clova hills covered with snow at the 
tops, with gleams of sunshine between the showers, 
was very fine, but it took us a long time, and I was 
very tired towards the end, and felt very sad and lone- 
ly. Loch Muich looked beautiful in the setting sun 
as we came down, and reminded me of many former 
happy days I spent there. We stopped to take tea at 
Altnagiuthasach. Grant was not with us, having gone 
with Vicky. We started at about twenty minutes to 
seven from Altnagiuthasach, Brown on the box next 

17 



258 BUSY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW. 

Smith, who was driving, Httle Willem (Alice's black 
serving boy) behind. It was quite dark when we left, 
but all the lamps were lit as usual; from the first, 
however, Smith seemed to be quite confused (and in- 
deed has been much altered of late), and got ofif the 
road several times, once in a very dangerous place, 
when Alice called out and Brown got off the box to 
show him the way. After that, however, though 
going very slowly, we seemed to be all right, but Alice 
was not at all reassured, and thought Brown's hold- 
ing up the lantern all the time on the box indicated 
that Smith could not see where he was going, though 
the road was as broad and plain as possible. Sud- 
denly, about two miles from Altnagiuthasach, and 
about twenty minutes after we had started, the car- 
riage began to turn up on one side ; we called out : 
'What's the matter?' There was an awful pause, 
during which Alice said : 'We are upsetting.' In an- 
other moment — during which I had time to reflect 
whether we should be killed or not, and thought there 
were still things I had not settled and wanted to do — 
the carriage turned over on its side, and we were all 
precipitated to the ground ! I came down very hard, 
with my face upon the ground, near the carriage, the 
horses both on the ground, and Brown calling out 
in despair, 'The Lord Almighty have mercy on us ! 
Who did ever see the like of this before ! I thought 
you were all killed.' Alice was soon helped up by 
means of tearing all her clothes to disentangle her; 
but Lenchen, who had also got caught in her dress, 
called out very piteously, which frightened me a good 
deal ;but she was also got out with Brown's assistance, 
and neither she nor Alice was at all hurt. I reassured 



BUSY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW. 259 

them that I was not hurt, and urged that we should 
make the best of it, as it was an inevitable misfortune. 
Smith, utterly confused and bewildered, at length came 
up to ask if I was hurt. Meantime the horses were 
lying on the ground as if dead, and it was absolutely 
necessary to get them up again. AHce, whose calm- 
ness and coolness were admirable, held one of the 
lamps while Brown cut the traces, to the horror of 
Smith, and the horses were speedily released and got 
up unhurt. There was now no means o? getting home 
except by sending back Smith with the two horses 
to get another carriage," 

A week after this narrow escape the Queen un- 
veiled the statue of Prince Albert at Aberdeen. This 
was the first of a series of public testimonials to the 
worth of the departed Prince, and the Queen has 
given most interesting details of the trying occasion. 
"Thursday, October 13, 1863. 

"I was terribly nervous. Longed not to have to go 
through this fearful ordeal. Prayed for help, and got 
up earlier. 

"A bad morning. The three younger children (ex- 
cept Baby), William of Hesse, and the ladies and gen- 
tlemen all gone on. I started sad and lonely, and so 
strange without my darling, with dear Alice, Lenchen, 
and Louis. We could not have the carriage open. At 
Aboyne we met Vicky and Fritz^ and both the couples 
went with me in the railway ; the Princes in Highland 
dress. I felt bewildered. It poured with rain, unfor- 
tunately. To describe the day's proceedings would 
be too painful and difificult ; but I annex the account. 
Vicky and Alice were with me, and the long, sad, and 
terrible procession through the crowded streets of 



260 BUSY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW. 

Aberdeen, where all were kindly, but all were silent, 
was mournful, and as unlike former blessed times as 
could be conceived. Unfortunately it continued pour- 
ing. The spot where the statue is placed is rather 
small, and on one side close to the bridge, but Maro- 
chetti chose it himself." 

The programme of that memorable day ran some- 
what as follows : 

The procession formed in the following order: 

His Grace the Duke of Richmond, the Convener and Sheriff 

of the County, and the Committee of Subscribers to the 

Memorial. 

The Lord Provost, 

and Magistrates, and Town Council. 

The Suite in Attendance on Her Majesty and Royal Family. 

Lady Augusta Bruce (in attendance on the Queen). 

Countess Hohenthal (in attendance on Crown-Princess). 

Baroness Schenck (in attendance on Princess Louis of 

Hesse). 

Sir George Grey. 

The Princes Alfred, Arthur, and Leopold. 

Lady Churchill (Lady-in-Waiting). 

The Princess Helena. 

The Princess Louise. 

The Crown-Prince of Prussia. 

The Prince Louis of Hesse. 

The Princess Louis of Hesse. 

The Crown-Princess of Prussia. 

THE QUEEN. 

Cavalry Escort. 

The procession wound its way along the densely 
packed streets amid the deepest silence of the assem- 
blage, everybody seeming to be animated by a desire 
to abstain from any popular demonstrations that might 
be distasteful to Her Majesty. On reaching the 



BUSY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW. 261 

Northern Club buildings, Her Majesty, accompanied 
by the Prince and Princesses, Sir Charles Phipps, 
Lord Charles Fitzroy, Major-General Hood, Dr. Jen- 
ner, General Grey, and the ladies and gentlemen of 
the suite, passed from their carriages into the lobby, 
and thence into the billiard room — a handsome, lofty 
room, which forms a half oval at the end towards 
Union Terrace. The Lord Provost then presented 
an address to Her Majesty. 

After the Queen's reply had been handed to the 
Lord Provost, Sir George Grey commanded his Lord- 
ship to kneel^ when Her Majesty, taking a sword 
from Sir George, touched the Provost on each shoul- 
der and said — "Rise, Sir Alexander Anderson." This 
ceremony concluded, the Queen and the whole of the 
royal party then proceeded to the platform. Her Ma- 
jesty's appearance on which was the signal for the mul- 
titude gathered outside to uncover their heads. Her 
Majesty, who appeared to be deeply melancholy and 
much depressed, though calm and collected, advanced 
to the front of the platform, while the Princes, who 
were all dressed in Royal Stewart tartan, and the Prin- 
cesses, who wore blue silk dresses, white bonnets, and 
dark grey cloaks, took up a position immediately be- 
hind her. The proceedings were opened with a prayer 
by Principal Campbell, who spoke for about ten min- 
utes, the assemblage standing uncovered in the rain, 
which was falling heavily at the time. During the 
time the learned Principal was engaged in prayer, 
Her Majesty more than once betrayed manifest and 
well-justified signs of impatience at the length of the 
oration. At the conclusion of the prayer, a signal was 
given, the bunting which had concealed the statue was 



262 BUSY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW. 

hoisted to the top of a flagstaff, and the ceremony 
was complete. 

Her Majesty, having scanned the statue narrowly, 
bowed to the assemblage and retired from the plat- 
form, followed by the royal party. 

On the 8th of January, 1864, the Prince of Wales' 
first son was born and was christened on March loth. 
The Queen was present at that ceremony and gave 
her godson the name of Albert Victor Christian Ed- 
ward. 

On the second anniversary of the death of Prince 
Albert, the 14th December, 1863, the Queen, at- 
tended by all the members of the Royal Family, vis- 
ited the Royal mausoleum at Frogmore, where a de- 
votional service was held. This sacred sepulchre of 
the dead Prince, it is said, cost $1,000,000, which the 
Queen defrayed from her privy purse. 

On the 1st of January, 1865, the Queen was greatly 
distressed by the frequency of serious railway acci- 
dents that were imperihng travel on every line of rail- 
road. Her Majesty caused a letter to be directed to 
the chief managers of the various lines, in which she 
said : "It is not for her own safety that the Queen 
has wished to provide in thus calling the attention of 
the company to the late disasters ; Her Majesty is 
aware that when she travels extraordinary precautions 
are taken, but it is on account of her family ; and those 
travehng upon her service, and of the people generally, 
that she expresses the hope that the same security 
may be insured for all, as is so carefully provided for 
herself. The Queen hopes it is unnecessary for her 
to recall the recollection of the Railway Directors 
to the heavy responsibility which they have assumed 



BUSY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW. 263 

since they have succeeded in securing the monopoly 
of the means of travehng of almost the entire popu- 
lation of the country. 

The Queen continued much in seclusion. Time, 
the great healer, was working slowly. The loss she 
had suffered was too great to be even other than a 
great and all-compassing desolation. The Royal chil- 
dren were her chief comfort, and they were minister- 
ing angels, indeed ! 

On that mournful April morning when all the 
world was startled by the terrible news of the assas- 
sination of Abraham Lincoln, the Queen, ever quick 
to sympathize with the sorrowing, without an hour's 
delay sent an autograph letter of the tenderest condo- 
lence to the widow of the martyred President. Both 
Houses of Parliament presented addresses to the 
Crown, to which she returned the following reply : — 

"I entirely participate in the sentiments you have 
expressed in your address to me on the subject of the 
assassination of the President of the United States, 
and I have given direction to my minister at Wash- 
ington to make known to the Government of that 
country the feelings which you entertain, in common 
with myself and my whole people, with regard to this 
deplorable event." 

On the 2d of June the second son of the Prince of 
Wales was born at Frogmore. He became the Duke 
of York. In the early summer the Queen, the Prince 
Leopold, the Princesses Helena, Louise, and Bea- 
trice, went to Germany, and after staying nearly a 
month went to Rosenau, the birthplace of Prince Al- 
bert, and there the Queen unveiled a statue erected to 



264 BUSY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW. 

his memory. In October the Queen was the guest 
of the Duchess of Athole. 

Death once more invaded the sacred circle of the 
Queen's most intimate friends. Her beloved and 
trusted Uncle Leopold, the faithful friend of all her 
years, died at Laeken on the 9th of December, in the 
sixty-seventh year of his age. He was as highly 
esteemed as he was widely known. He had won for 
himself the enviable title of "]ngt de Paix de I'Eu- 
rope." 

Her Majesty now remained for a long period in se- 
clusion. She delegated the holding of Drawing Rooms 
to the Princess of Wales, and the care of Levees was 
entrusted to Prince Albert as well as the care of Court 
Balls and Concerts. 

In the early part of 1866 the Queen returned to her 
people and opened Parliament in person. A lady who 
was present on the occasion, Sarah A. Tooley, thus 
describes the scene: 

"The occasion was one of great splendor and inter- 
est, remarkable for the numerous assemblages of la- 
dies present in the House of Lords ; in fact, the array 
of peeresses filling the back rows of seats behind the 
peers, as well as the side galleries and the great gal- 
lery, might have led a stranger to suppose that women 
had at length been admitted to Parliament. At noon 
the streets recalled the palmy days of the Queen's 
wedded life; crowds of spectators lined the route to 
Westminster, and a long line of carriages filled with 
ladies in full-dress stretched from Pall Mall to the 
Peers' entrance. Before the appearance of Her Ma- 
jesty, the Princess of Wales, looking lovely in a white 
tulle dress trimmed with black lace, was conducted to 



BUSY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW. 265 

a seat on the woolsack, facing the throne, whereon 
was spread the State robes which the Queen had no 
heart to wear. It was a moment of thrilHng and 
pathetic interest when Her Majesty entered, dressed 
in a robe of deep violet velvet, trimmed with ermine, 
and wearing a white lace cap a la Marie Stuart, with a 
gauze veil flowing behind ; her dress, indeed, gave her 
a remarkable likeness to the unfortunate Queen of 
Scots. She was accompanied by the Princesses Hel- 
ena and Louise, dressed in half-mourning costumes, 
and escorted to her seat by the Prince of Wales. She 
sat with downcast eyes, looking very grave and sad, 
while the speech from the throne, which in happier 
days had been delivered by her with such rare elocu- 
tionary power, was read by the Lord Chancellor. One 
feels that the occasion was a little trying for Princess 
Helena, as the formal announcement was made of her 
approaching marriage with Prince Christian of 
Schleswig-Holstein. 

On the 13th of March the Queen reviewed her 
troops at Aldershot. 

It will greatly interest the women of America, who 
are so deeply concerned on all educational matters, 
and especially on the question of the Higher Educa- 
tion of Women, to know that Her Majesty has for 
many years devoted a great deal of attention to this 
theme, which, not in America or England alone, but 
throughout the whole civilized world, is regarded as 
a subject of supreme importance. Mr. Thomas Hol- 
loway, who had amassed an immense fortune by the 
sale of pills, of which he was the sole compounder and 
dispenser, gave the later years of his life to the study 
of educational affairs, and at the cost of over a million 



266 BUSY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW. 

dollars, he established and endowed an institution 
which is known as the Royal HoUoway College of 
Women. The purpose of this unique institution — for 
in these days such a college was something new in the 
land — was to render aid to young ladies who were 
ambitious of pursuing the various branches of higher 
education. So thoroughly was the Queen interested 
in this college that she permitted Dr. Holloway to 
use the term "Royal" in connection with it, and when 
the college was ready for opening, she, with a goodly 
royal company, went down to Mount Lee, to perform 
the opening ceremony. The royal party, consisting 
of the Queen, Princess Beatrice, the Duke of Con- 
naught, Prince Henry of Battenberg, and Princess 
Louise of Battenberg, and suite, drove from Windsor 
Castle, by way of Frogmore and Runnymede to Eg- 
ham. At Mount Lee, at the entrance of the college, 
Her Majesty was met by Mr. G. Martin Holloway, 
who conducted her to the chapel where the opening 
ceremony was to take place. The choir sang an ode 
written by Mr. George Holloway, and set to music 
by Sir George Elvey, after which the royal party 
visited the picture gallery, where a gold key was pre- 
sented to the Queen. It was most costly and exceed- 
ingly elaborate in construction and design, consisting 
of gold work, with a laurel wreath of diamonds. A 
chair of State was placed upon a dais, from which Her 
Majesty formally opened the institution. 

An address was presented to the Queen by Mr. 
Martin Holloway, setting forth the purposes of the 
college. Her Majesty made the following gracious 
reply : — 

"I thank you for the loyal address which you have 



BUSY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW. 267 

presented to me on behalf of the governors and trus- 
tees of this college. In opening this spacious and 
noble building it gives me pleasure to acknowledge 
the generous spirit which has been manifested in the 
completion by voluntary effort of a work promising 
so much public usefulness. I gladly give the assurance 
of my good will to the administration to whom the 
college is about to be entrusted, and I earnestly hope 
that their efiforts to promote the objects for which it 
has been founded and planned by your relative may 
be rewarded by a career of abiding success." 

The Earl of Kimberly, who stood on the left of the 
Queen, then stepped forward and said : "I am com- 
manded by Her Majesty to declare this college open !" 
Then came a grand flourish of trumpets, after which 
the Archbishop of Canterbury pronounced the bene- 
diction, and so ended the memorable occasion of June 
30th, 1866. 

The Princess Helena was married to Prince Chris- 
tian of Schleswig-Holstein on the 5th of July. The 
Queen gave away the bride. On the 12th of the same 
month the Princess Mary of Cambridge was married 
to the Prince Teck. 

One of the great marvels of the age, the Atlantic 
Cable, was now successfully laid, and messages of 
kindness passed between the Queen and the President 
of the United States. 

The Queen went to Scotland in October and while 
there opened the Aberdeen Waterworks. 

On the 30th of November a statue of Prince Albert 
was unveiled at Wolverhampton. Prince and Princess 
Christian and the Princess Louise were present. 

On the 5th of February, 1867, Her Majesty opened 



268 BUSY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW. 

Parliament in person. The Queen's speech was read 
by the Lord Chancellor. 

In the May of 1867 the Queen, who endeavored 
zealously to fulfill the wishes of her deceased hus- 
band, laid the foundation stone of the Albert Hall of 
Arts and Sciences. In her speech on the occasion 
she said : — 

"It has not been without a struggle that I have 
nerved myself to a compliance with the wish that I 
should take part in this day's ceremony, but I have 
been sustained by the thought that I should assist, 
by my presence, in promoting the accomplishment of 
his great design, to whose memory the gratitude and 
afifection of the country are now rearing a noble mon- 
ument, which I trust may yet look down on such a 
centre of institutions for the promotion of art and 
science as it was his fond wish to establish here. It is 
my wish that the hall should bear his name to whom 
it will have owed its existence, and be called the Royal 
Albert Hall of Arts and Sciences." 

At this time the Queen instituted the Albert Medal 
to be given as rewards to those who risked their lives 
to save shipwrecked men, or who encountered danger 
for the sake of those who were in perils of the sea. 
It was an oval-shaped badge of gold, enameled in dark 
blue, on which was engraved a monogram of the 
letters V. and A., surmounted on a ribbon or garter 
bearing this legend : "For gallantry in saving life at 
sea. 

In July the Sultan of Turkey, Abdul Aziz, visited 
the Queen. It was the first Sultan who had trod the 
free soil of England. He was received with the ut- 
most cordialty. During his stay, Her Majesty re- 



BUSY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW. 269 

viewed her fleet at Spithead, There were 49 vessels, 
mounting 1,099 guns. These formed two columns, 
through which the Royal Yacht, the "Victoria and 
Albert," passed. On the deck of the Royal yacht the 
Queen invested the Sultan with the Order of the Gar- 
ter. 

The Queen went to Balmoral in August and made 
a long stay. On the 20th of August she unveiled a 
statue of Prince Albert at Balmoral. The ceremony 
was brief and informal, but the Queen was greatly 
moved. The occasion brought back to her mind the 
happy days that were no more. 

This year came trouble in Abyssinia. King Theo- 
dore took offence at something the English had said 
or done. Consul Cameron, with several of our mis- 
sionaries, were thrown into prison. An expedition 
was fitted out and Sir Robert Napier hastened to the 
rescue, and fought a battle on the heights of Magdala, 
in which the Abyssinians were overcome. 

On this, Theodore released the captives but dis- 
dained submission, and the city had to be assaulted. 
On entering it the King was found dead — shot, it is 
believed, by his own hand. 

As on inquiry he was found to have usurped the 
throne, the English placed on it the rightful heir, and 
Theodore's young son was brought to England and 
presented to the Queen at Osborne. But the climate 
of England proving too cold for him, he was sent to 
India to be educated, but lived there only a few years. 

In March the Duke of Edinburgh was shot on board 
his ship, the "Galatea," which was then in Sydney 
Harbor. The would-be assassin failed of his purpose. 
The man's name was O'Ferral, and he was sup(posed 



270 BUSY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW, 

to be connected with the Fenians. He was tried and 
hanged, notwithstanding that the Duke interceded for 
his Hfe. 

On the 13th of May the Queen laid the foundation 
stone of the new St. Thomas's Hospital, on the right 
bank of the Thames, near Lambeth Palace. There 
was a large assemblage of people, as well as of peers 
and members of the Commons, at the ceremony, and 
Her Majesty was received with many demonstrations 
of loyalty. 

The Queen made a very touching speech on the 
occasion, referring to the interest her late husband 
had taken in all institutions of the kind, and saying 
that it was a solace to her to follow his example. She 
thanked them, also, for the sympathy expressed for 
her in her late shock and anxiety about her dear son. 

In the month of June, Her Majesty reviewed 27,000 
volunteers in the Great Park, Windsor. 

In August the Queen went to Lucerne, traveling as 
the Countess of Kent. Here she continued a month 
with the Princesses Louise and Beatrice for compan- 
ions. On her way out Her Majesty spent a day at 
the English Embassy in Paris, where she received the 
Empress Eugenie. 

On the Queen's return from Lucerne at the end 
of August a rumor gained currency in London that 
the days of the Queen's mourning were to come to an 
end, and that Her Majesty had determined to 
return to her place as the leader of society. There 
were hints of drawing-rooms where the Queen would 
appear in person. Court balls, concerts, and all the 
varied functions of the Court with all their pomp and 
splendor. It is not very difficult to. surmise how- this 



BUSY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW. 271 

rumor arose. Had the Queen resolved on such a 
course it would have given an immense impetus to 
London trade, and many private interests would have 
been promoted. Times were dull and trade had long 
been at a low ebb, especially in the metropolis. The 
wish was father to the thought. Selfishness quite as 
much as sentiment inspired the advocacy of the 
Queen's return to public hfe. 

The following editorial article appeared in The 
Times, which had doubtless been dictated by Her Ma- 
jesty and her advisers. It will be greatly interesting 
to our readers inasmuch as it may be regarded as the 
Queen's message to her people on a personally deli- 
cate matter. The message reads thus: — 

"An erroneous impression seems generally to pre- 
vail, and has lately found frequent expression in the 
newspapers, that the Queen is about to resume the 
place in society which she occupied before her great 
affliction ; that is, that she is about to hold levees and 
drawing-rooms in person, and to appear as before at 
Court balls, concerts, etc. This idea cannot be too 
explicitly contradicted. 

"The Queen appreciates the desire of her subjects 
to see her, and whatever she can do to gratify them 
in this loyal and affectionate wish she will do. When- 
ever any real object is to be obtained by her appearing 
on public occasions, any national interest to be pro- 
moted, or anything to be encouraged which is for the 
good of the people. Her Majesty will not shrink, as 
she has not shrunk, from any personal sacrifice or 
exertion, however painful. 

"But there are other and higher duties than those 
of mere representation which are now thrown upon 



272 BUSY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW. 

the Queen, alone and unassisted — duties which she 
cannot neglect without injury to the public service — 
which weigh unceasingly upon her, overwhelming her 
with work and anxiety. The Queen has labored con- 
scientiously to discharge these duties till her health 
and strength, already shaken by the bitter and abiding 
desolation which has taken the place of her former 
happiness, have been impaired. 

"To call upon her to undergo, in addition, the 
fatigue of these mere State ceremonies, which can be 
equally well performed by other members of her fam- 
ily, is to ask her to run the risk of entirely disabling 
herself for the discharge of those other duties, which 
cannot be neglected without serious injury to the 
public interests. The Queen will, however, do what 
she can — least trying to her health, strength and 
spirits — to meet the loyal wishes of her subjects; to 
afford that support and countenance to society, and 
to give that encouragement to trade, which is desired 
of her. More the Queen cannot do, and more the 
kindness and good feeling of her people will surely not 
exact." 

On the 6th of November, 1869, Her Majesty opened 
the new Blackfriars Bridge, and the Holborn Viaduct, 
which stretches over the Fleet Valley from Holborn 
Hill to Newgate street. Immense crowds greeted the 
Queen with loyal cheers. 



CHAPTER XX. 



CLOUD AND SUNSHINE. 

The year 1870 was a year of war. The Emperor 
of the French proclaimed war against the King of 
Prussia. He was bold and confident of success. The 
French raised the cry, "A Berlin!" as they set out 
for the Rhine. All Germany arose at the cry and 
united against their foes. 

Then followed the saddest page in the history of 
modern France. Defeat followed defeat in rapid 
succession. At last came Sedan, which was a thou- 
sand times more humiliating to the Emperor than 
Waterloo was to his uncle half a century before. 

The Emperor became an exile. He fled to England. 
France in fury proclaimed a Repubhc. The Germans 
marched on. Paris was invested. 

The sufferings of the Parisians were dreadful. They 
had consumed all their food, and fed on cats, dogs, 
the animals in their Zoological Gardens, on rats and 
mice ; their bread at last was only made of sawdust. 
Death was in every street — almost in every house. 
Fever and smallpox followed on want and starvation, 
and at length, utterly exhausted, the brave city sur- 
rendered to the German foe. 

The Empress of the French had escaped from Paris 
the moment the Republic was proclaimed, and her 
son had, as we know, preceded her. 

The Emperor, who surrendered at Sedan, was 
liberated by the Emperor of Germany, and at once 
18 273 



274 CLOUD AND SUNSHINE. 

followed his wife and child to the hospitable land 
that had once before been his refuge. He found a 
home at Chislehurst, in Kent, and the Prince Imperial 
was sent to the Woolwich Military College for Cadets, 
where he obtained some distinction. 

The Queen was placed in a somewhat delicate 
position. She could not interfere with the affairs of 
another nation, nor could she be unmindful of her 
friends in the day of trouble. The exiles ever found 
a true friend in the Queen of England. 

October found the Queen at her beloved Balmoral. 
On the 3rd of the month she has to listen once again 
to "the story old, but ever new." Her journal con- 
tains this pregnant line: "This was an eventful day! 
Our dear Louise was engaged to Lord Lome. * * 
* We got home by seven. Louise, who returned 
some time after we did, told me that Lome had 
spoken of his devotion to her, and that she had 
accepted him, knowing that I would approve. Though 
I was not unprepared for this result, I felt painfully 
the thought of losing her. But I naturally gave my 
consent, and could only pray that she might be 
happy." 

On the 2ist of March, 1871, the Princess Louise 
was married to the Marquis of Lome with great 
pomp and splendor. The Bishop of London per- 
formed the solemn ceremony. The bride and bride- 
groom spent their honeymoon at Claremont. 

On the 29th of March 8,000 persons crowded them- 
selves into Albert Hall to the opening festival. The 
members of the Royal Family were present with the 
chief officers of State and other notables. When the 
Queen entered the vast assembly arose to do her 



CLOUD AND SUNSHINE. 275 

honor and stood while the National Anthem was per- 
formed. Prince of Wales read an address to his royal 
mother, who responded in a clear but sorrowful voice : 
"I wish to express my great admiration of this beau- 
tiful hall, and my earnest desires for its complete suc- 
cess." The Bishop of London offered prayer and then 
the Prince of Wales exclaimed: 'The Queen de- 
clares this hall to be now opened." Sir Michael Costa 
composed a cantata for the occasion. This Hall is one 
of the most imposing and magnificent public build- 
ings in all Europe. It cost $2,500,000. 

In the middle of April the exiled Emperor Napo- 
leon and tlie Empress Eugenie were greatly touched 
in their sorrow and exile by a kindly visit from the 
Queen, whose words were full of comfort and sym- 
pathy. They were living at Chiselhurst, where the 
Emperor died and where he was buried. 

The present writer well remembers the occasion of 
the funeral. There were many hearts in France that 
beat loyal and true to the man, as was evidenced by 
their presence at his tomb. The scene at the little 
mortuary chapel where the Emperor was laid at rest 
was as beautiful as pathetic. He was literally en- 
tombed in flowers. It seemed as if France had sent 
all her violets to breathe in fragrance and beauty the 
message of their devotion. 

As the year draws near its close, the Royal ChaHce 
at Windsor Castle is once more filled to the brim 
with bitterness and anguish. Was the month of De- 
cember to be always a month of loss and anguish ! 

The Prince of Wales had just returned from a visit 
to Lord Londesborough at Scarborough, where he 
had been accompanied by Lord Chesterfield and some 



276 CLOUD AND SUNSHINE. 

of his servants. At the same moment symptoms of 
typhoid fever appeared in Lord Chesterfield, in one 
of the Prince's grooms, and in the Prince himself. 

The fever laid fast hold of His Royal Highness, 
and spite of the devotion of the Princess and the 
Prince's sisters, who were ceaseless and tender in 
their sacred vigil, the Prince's life was despaired. The 
Queen sat with sorrowing heart at the bedside of her 
son. All England was in sympathy with the Royal 
Family in their distress. Prayers were offered every- 
where, in cathedral and temple, in church and kirk, 
in the Hindoo shrines and the Mahometan mosque ; all 
the world was praying for the Prince of Wales. On 
the night of the 13th of December the fever was at 
its worst and the Prince's life hung by a thread. The 
next day was the anniversary of his father's death. 
The hearts of the watchers at Sandringham seemed 
to stand still. At last the tide turned. The danger 
was past. 

Forth went the Nation weeping 

With precious seed._.of prayer, 
Hope's awful vigil keeping, 

Mid rumors of despair. 
Then did Thy love deliver, 

And from Thy gracious hand, 
Joy, like the southern river, 

O'erflowed the weary land. 

All the land was glad when the good news came 
that the life of the Prince was to be spared. The 
royal family met with every conceivable form of 
sympathy from all quarters of the land, and from all 
nations, and from the far off islands of the sea. 

Th€ London Gazette of December 37th, 1871, tbn- 



CLOUD AND SUNSHINE. 277 

tained the following letter addressed by Her Majesty 
to her loyal sympathetic people : 

"Windsor Castle, 

"December 26, 1871. 

"The Queen is very anxious to express her deep 
sense of the touching sympathy of the whole nation 
on the occasion of the alarming illness of her dear 
son, the Prince of Wales. The universal feeling shown 
by her people during these painful, terrible days, and 
the sympathy evinced by them with herself and her 
beloved daughter, the Princess of Wales, as well as 
the general joy in the improvement of the Prince of 
"Wales' state, have made a deep and lasting impres- 
sion upon her heart which can never be effaced. It 
was indeed nothing new to her, for the Queen had 
met with the same sympathy, when ten years ago, 
a similar illness removed from her side the best, wis- 
est and kindest of husbands. 

"The Queen wishes to express, at the same time, 
on behalf of the Princess of Wales, her feelings of 
heartfelt gratitude, for she has been as deeply touched 
as the Queen by the great and universal manifesta- 
tions of loyalty and sympathy. 

"The Queen cannot conclude without expressing 
her hope that her faithful subjects will contine their 
prayers to God for the complete recovery of her dear 
son to health and strength." 

On the 27th of February, 1872, the Queen went in 
state to St. Paul's to return thanks for the merciful 
restoration of her son to health. Her Majesty had 
at first only intended to have a thanksgiving service 
for herself and family ; but the nation, that had shared 
her sorrow and anxiety, would also participate in her 



278 CLOUD AND SUNSHINE. 

joy. The day, therefore, became a national festival. 
The streets were decorated, the windows and bal- 
conies crowded with people, the pavements were 
thronged by thousands of her rejoicing subjects, and 
bands of school children sang hymns along the route. 
St. Paul's Cathedral was crowded with 1,500 people, 
including the royal family, the House of Lords, the 
House of Commons, Foreign ambassadors, repre- 
sentatives of all religious denominations, and civil 
and diplomatic companies. 

The Queen, dressed in black velvet trimmed with 
ermine, entered with the Prince of Wales on one 
side of her, and his eldest son on the other; the Prin- 
cess of Wales, dressed in blue, led in her second son. 

A beautiful and appropriate prayer of thanksgiving, 
an anthem, and a hymn for the occasion, marked the 
ceremony. 

The Archbishop of Canterbury preached a brief but 
impressive sermon from the text : "Ye are members 
one of another." 

The London Gazette of March ist, 1872, contained 
another charming message from the Queen to her 
people : 

"Buckingham Palace, 

"February 29th, 1872. 

"The Queen is anxious, as on a previous occasion, 
to express publicly her own personal very deep sense 
of the reception she and her dear children met with 
on Tuesday, February 27th, from millions of her sub- 
jects on her way to and from St. Paul's. 

"Words are too weak for the Queen to say how 
very deeply touched and gratified she has been, by the 



CLOUD AND SUNSHINE. 279 

immense enthusiasm and affection exhibited towards 
her dear son and herself, from the highest down to the 
lowest, on the long progress through the capital, and 
she would earnestly wish to convey her warmest, and 
most heartfelt thanks to the whole nation for this 
great demonstration of loyalty. 

"The Queen, as well as her son and daughter-in- 
law, felt that the whole nation joined with them in 
thanking God for sparing the beloved Prince of Wales' 
life. 

"The remembrance of this day, and of the remark- 
able order maintained throughout will forever be af- 
fectionately remembered by the Queen and her 
family." 

In August of this year the Queen again visited 
Edinburgh, and stayed at Holyrood House. The Prin- 
cess Louise, with affectionate care, had fitted up for 
her royal mother the apartments called the Argyle 
Rooms, furnishing them with pretty carpets and 
chintzes of scarlet geraniums on a white ground. The 
suite of rooms consisted of a dining-room, a large 
sitting-room, and a very large bedroom and dressing- 
room. 

The Queen greatly enjoyed rambling about the 
old historic palace. The Princess Beatrice was with 
her royal mother on this visit. 

On the 23rd of September Her Majesty received 
the sad tidings of the death of her sister, Feodore, 
the Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. The intel- 
ligence caused her a great shock, for the sisters had 
been fondly attached to each other. The Duke of 
Edinburgh, Prince Arthur, Princess Alice and her hus- 



280 CLOUD AND SUNSHINE. 

band, attended Princess Feodore's funeral at Baden- 
Baden. 

And now the heart of the Princess Alice was well- 
nigh broken by the tragic death of her son, the little 
Prince Frederick. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



THE TICHBORNE CASE. 

It will not be out of place, for reasons that will 
appear hereafter, to make a brief reference to one of 
the most celebrated trials of the Queen's long reign, 
in which she was greatly interested. 

In 1873 the famous "Tichborne claimants' " case 
was brought to trial, and for more than a year it 
attracted more attention than Mr. Gladstone's most 
eloquent speeches, — who was then Prime Minister 
of England — it excited more interest than the winner 
of. the Derby, or the Oxford and Cambridge boat 
race. The author of "England in the Nineteenth 
Century" crowds the main facts into one or two brief 
paragraphs, which we quote : 

"The Tichbornes were an old and very distin- 
guished Catholic family, living on the borders of the 
New Forest. One of the family, a young man who 
had conspired to assist the escape of Mary Queen 
of Scotts, had been put to death by Queen Elizabeth, 
and wrote some touching lines in the Tower the night 
before his execution : 

My prime of life is but a frost of cares, 
My feast of joy is but a dish of pain, 

My crop of corn is but a field of tares, 
And ail my good is but vain hope of gain. 

The day is past, and yet I saw no sun; 

And now I live, and now my life is done. 

281 



282 THE TICHBORNE CASE. 

There was a custom of great antiquity connected 
with the family, and a family ghost haunted the For- 
est. In 1854, the Baronet, Sir Edward, had no son. 
His heir was a Mr. James Tichborne, who had married 
a lady born and brought up in France. She was a 
flighty, eccentric woman, and the marriage was not 
a happy one. Their son, Roger, was a shy, whimsical, 
impulsive, weak young man, who had been educated 
in a sort of haphazard way, — partly in France, and 
partly at the Jesuits' College at Stonyhurst. He was 
put into the army, and joined his regiment at Dublin, 
where his broken EngHsh and some queer ways 
exposed him to rough jesting in the mess-room; but 
upon the whole he made an efficient officer, and was 
considered rather a good fellow. However, his home 
was so uncomfortable, owing to the quarrels of his 
parents, that he passed any spare time he had at Tich- 
borne Hall. Sir Edward had changed his name, for 
some reason, to Doughty, and was anxious to marry 
his daughter. Miss Kate Doughty, to the young man, 
who would be eventually heir to his estates and title. 
The cousins were engaged, and were to be married 
in two years, during which interval young Roger was 
to travel. He reached Valparaiso in June, 1853, 
crossed the Andes, and visited Buenos Ayres. In 
February, 1854, he wrote several letters, dwelling 
affectionately on his hopes when he should return 
home, and soon after he went to Rio, where he em- 
barked in the "Bella," a little sailing-vessel, for New 
York. The "Bella" was never more heard of; her 
boat was picked up bottom upwards ; and on the death 
of Sir Edward and of Roger's father, the baronetcy 
and estates went to an infant heir. 



THE TICHBORNE CASE. 883 

But Roger's mother cherished the behef that her 
son had been picked up at sea and carried off to 
AustraHa. This dehision was inspired by a talkative 
sailor who came begging at her doors. The wander- 
ing sailor was a good hand at a yarn, and the ven- 
erable lady was only too ready to give credence to any 
story that gave her hope of a long-lost boy. 

As a result of her anxiety and hope, the mother of 
Roger caused advertisements to be put in all the 
Australian papers. In due time an answer came from 
a butcher, Arthur Orton by name, who had met the 
true Roger Tichborne in Valparaiso, and had learned 
something of his history. This man declared him- 
self to be "the long-lost son," and claimed the Tich- 
borne title and estates, as the real Sir Roger. 

Arthur Orton came to England and the long, 
romantic trial began. Whether he was Roger Tich- 
borne, or only Arthur Orton remained to be seen. He 
was at least the "claimant" and by that title he was 
henceforth known. He soon became the "fad" of the 
season, for London has a fad for every season, and 
the question : "Have you seen the claimant?" became 
as common on the streets of London, as that more 
tiresome question, "Have you seen the Shah ?" 

Prior to the commencement of the trial the claimant 
had done considerable work of the quiet, beaver sort. 
He had interviewed the old servants of the Tichborne. 
and then, with a good deal of trepidity, he went to 
Paris and interviewed the venerable mother, who, to 
his intense delight as well as wonder, hailed him as her 
son. Her reception of him was complete and enthu- 
siastic. 

This was a strong point in the case, and awoke a 



284 THE TICHBORNE CASE. 

good deal of sentimental sympathy, especially among 
the causeway critics, who knew more about law in a 
minute than all the twelve judges with their wigs and 
gowns ! 

"Isn't this here a pretty how-do-you-do, when a 
poor workingman is to be done out of his rights, even 
when his own mother proves as he's her long-lost 
son !" 

But alas for the claimant! His case broke utterly 
down. He knew nothing, when questioned on the 
trial, of Stronghurst, where Roger was educated, nor 
yet of its plans or methods of study. Roger spoke 
French, but the claimant did not. The claimant spoke 
a sort of mongrel Spanish, but Roger spoke no Span- 
ish. Roger had been a cavalry officer, but the claim- 
ant knew nothing of cavalry drill. On every point 
the claimant's case broke down. Then came a sec- 
ond trial, for perjury. The claimant was found guilty 
and was sentenced to fourteen years' penal servi- 
tude. 

The mother of Roger believed in the claimant to 
the last day of her life, and thousands of others be- 
lieved in him. 

The present writer well remembers the famous Tich- 
borne trial. He calls to mind, as if it were but yes- 
terday, the scenes of this celebrated case. The per- 
sistent and emphatic Dr. Kaneally — the Emory A. 
Storrs of his day — who defended the Claimant; the 
crowded court-room ; and the Claimant himself, so 
exceedingly rotund that a large semi-circular piece 
had to be cut out of the table at which he sat, that 
he might sit thereat with some degree of comfort. 
Meantime, to while away the tedious hours, he spent 



THE TICHBORNE CASE. 285 

his time in clipping figures out of pieces of cardboard 
with a dainty pair of scissors. Of all that crowded 
court, the person who seemed the least concerned 
was the "Claimant" himself. 

The years come and the years go. When next I 
saw the Claimant, he had passed through the long, 
dreary years of penal servitude, and was on exhibition 
as a curio at a dime museum on Clark Street, Chi- 
cago ! Alas ! for the "Claimant ;" his portly dimen- 
sions had shrunk to most deplorable flabbiness. His 
"too, too solid flesh" had melted. The temptation 
to interview him at length was too great to be over- 
come. He told me of his prison life at Dartmoor, 
which had been to him a long and weary trial. He 
was glad to meet one who had been present on his 
"shameful trial," as he described it. He made a very 
earnest but not very successful effort to present him- 
self as a martyr before the various audiences he 
addressed. He had told his perjuries so often and so 
seriously, that I presume he beUeved them himself. 

He tried hard to persuade certain Chicago pub- 
lishers to consider the value of his manuscript — which 
he carried about with him wherever he went — detail- 
ing the whole story of his hfe, and the trial, as the 
most romantic story of the Nineteenth Century. But 
Chicago publishers want to be first "sure they are 
right" and then they are quite willing to "go ahead." 

A few years passed by, and the hapless "Claimant" 
came to "his own" six feet of sod, the heritage sooner 
or later, of us all, served him for a resting-place. "The 
real Roger," or only "the Claimant," at last he found 
rest. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 

January 23rd, 1874, the Queen's second son, the 
Duke of Edinburg, was married to the Grand Duchess 
Marie Alexandrovna, only daughter of the Emperor 
and Empress of Russia. The marriage was celebrated 
at St. Petersburg, by the service of the Greek Church 
and also that of the English Church. The Prince 
and Princess of Wales, Prince Arthur, the Crown 
Prince and Princess of Germany, and the members of 
the Imperial family were present. The happy pair 
landed at Gravesend on the 7th of March, and met 
with a most cordial welcome from the Queen at 
Windsor Castle. A few days later the Duke and 
Duchess made a state entry into London. It was a 
bitter winter day, but through the snow storm Her 
Majesty, with the Princess Beatrice, accompanied the 
bride in an open landau. The city was en fete, the 
streets were crowded and the throngs of people were 
loud and loyal in their demonstrations. 

During the Franco-Prussian war, the Queen and 
her people had been very thoughtful and sympathetic 
in their assistance of the sick and wounded in that 
terrible strife. When the war was over and the smoke 
of the carnage had cleared away, the French nation 
presented a very beautiful tribute of the gratitude of 
France to the Queen and her people. 

Addresses of thanks were presented to Her Majesty 
in a private audience by M. Thomas d'Agiout and the 

286 



LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 287 

Comte Serrurier, who were the deputed delegates of 
the nation. The addresses, which were contained in 
four volumes, numbered a thousand, and were sent 
by different Councils-General and municipalities, the 
signatures amounting to nearly twelve millions. In 
many cases the peasants who signed could not write, 
and a cross, certified by the Maire of the commune, 
testified to the signatory's wish to join in the testi- 
monial. Each town or village expressed its thanks 
in its own manner, and each address was illuminated 
with the arms of the town. The Commune of Loches 
in Indre et Loire offered a prize for the best poem 
with which to ornament its address. The following 
is a verse of the successful production : 

"Si la force prime le droit 
Suivant la morale du crime, 
Celui qui dans le Seigneur croit, 
S^che les pleurs de la victime." 

The four books were most splendidly bound, and 
were inscribed, "Britannige Grata Gallia." 

Lord Derby first introduced the deputation to the 
Queen in the audience chamber of Windsor Castle, 
and the Comte de Jarnac, the French Ambassador, 
presented the two delegates. 

Afterwards the Queen received M. d'Agiout and 
Comte Serrurier in the White Drawing-room, where 
the books had been placed on a table for Her Majes- 
ty's inspection. The Queen looked at them with great 
interest and pleasure, and the delegates explained the 
nature of their contents. 

The Queen responded : 

"They are beautiful as works of art, but their chief 
value in my eyes is that they form a permanent me- 



238 LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 

morial of the gratitude of the French people for ser- 
vices freely rendered to them by the Englishmen act- 
ing under a simple impulse of humanity." 

The year 1875 opened with more domestic anxiety 
for Her Majesty. Prince Leopold, who from his child- 
hood had been the most delicate of all the Queen's 
children, suffered from an attack of typhoid fever, 
taken at Cambridge. When the fever left him, hem- 
orrhage of the lungs set in, and he grew exceedingly 
weak. Happily he recovered. As the Princess Alice 
said, he had already been given back three times to 
his family from the very brink of the grave. 

In October His Royal Highness the Prince of 
Wales started on a lengthened tour through Her 
Majesty's Indian dominions. A very pleasant episode 
is recorded of that journey. The Prince spent his 
thirty-fourth birthday at Bombay, and the first sight 
that greeted his waking on that auspicious morning 
was a beautiful portrait of his wife, which she had 
secretly entrusted to a member of his suite to be 
given him on that morning. The gift was as delight- 
ful a surprise to the Prince as the Princess of Wales 
could have desired. The Prince of Wales had a royal 
time in India. He hunted and shot elephants and 
tigers, and took part in the most exciting sport of 
the Orient. He visited many native princes, among 
others the Mahrajah of Cashmere, and the Mahrajah 
of Jaypore. The longer he stayed and the further he 
traveled the more popular he became. He was in 
full bloom of his early manhood and became a 
favorite everywhere. His frank good nature, his 
genial manners won the heart and homage of India 
for himself and for his royal mother. This journey, 



LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 289 

which was one unbroken procession through daz- 
zling splendors that can only be seen among Orien- 
tals, was, from a diplomatic standpoint, a wise and 
judicious arrangement. It helped to bind India 
and England in inseparable bonds. At least it 
paved the way for the formal declaration of a closer 
relation to India being assumed by Her Majesty. 

In January, 1876, the Queen opened Parliament 
in person. Mr. Disraeli, noting that no formal addi- 
tion to her title had been made since India had been 
added to the Crown, moved, on the 17th of February, 
in the House of Commons, that the Queen have 
"Empress of India" added to her title and dignity; 
And on May the first, of the same year, the new title 
was formally and legally proclaimed. 

The 17th of August was a very trying day for Her 
Majesty. It was her first public appearance after the 
Prince Consort's death, and now she came to Edin- 
burgh to unveil a statue to the memory of Prince 
Albert. 

There were sad memories still about the place. Her 
Majesty writes: "The last time my dearest Albert 
ever appeared in pubHc was in Edinburgh on October 
23, 1861, only six weeks before the end of all, when 
he laid the first stone of the new postofifice, and I 
looked out of the window to see him drive off in state, 
or rather in dress (London carriages), and the chil- 
dren went to see the ceremony. It was in Edinburgh, 
too, that dearest mamma appeared for the last time 
in public, being with me at the volunteer review in 
i860, which was the first time she had driven with 
me in public for twenty years. Dear Arthur could 
not come to luncheon as he was on duty." 



290 LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 

A little later the same year, at Ballaber, the Queen 
made a presentation of Colors to "The Royal Scots." 
"There were between two and three thousand spec- 
tators," says Her Majesty. "Alix was in a carriage, 
Bertie and the boys (in Highland dress) and Prince 
John of Gliicksburg on foot. They stood near me, 
so did Arthur (also in his kilt), who had got out of 
the carriage. Then followed, after the royal salute, 
the trooping of the colors, with all its peculiar and 
interesting customs, marching and counter-marching, 
the band playing the fine old marches of the "Garb of 
old Gaul" and "Dumbarton Drums," also the march 
from the "Fille du Regiment," which was evidently 
played as a compliment to me, whom they considered 
as "born in the regiment," my father having com- 
manded it at the time I was born. Then came the pil- 
ing of the drums and the prayer by Mr. Middleton, 
minister of Ballater, after which the new colors were 
given to me. I handed them to the two sub- 
lieutenants, who were kneeling, and then I said the 
following words : 

"In entrusting these colors to your charge, it gives 
me much pleasure to remind you that I have been 
associated with your regiment from my earliest in- 
fancy, as my dear father was your Colonel. He was 
proud of his profession, and I was always told to 
consider myself a soldier's child. I rejoice in having 
a son who has devoted his life to the army, and who, 
I am confident, will ever prove worthy of the name 
of a British soldier. I now present these colors to 
you, convinced that you will always uphold the glory 
and reputation of my first Regiment of Foot — the 
Royal Scots.' 



LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 291 

"Colonel McGuire then spoke a few words in reply, 
and brought the old colors to me, and begged me 
to accept them. In doing so, I said I should take 
them to Windsor, and place them there in recollection 
of the regiment and their Colonel. Then they marched 
past well (they were fine men), and, after the royal 
salute, gave three cheers for me. The 79th kept the 
ground and took charge of the old colors. We left at 
once. 

"The rain continued persistently, having got worse 
just as the prayer began; but we kept the carriage 
open, and were back by half-past five. 

"I was terribly nervous while speaking." 

The proclamation of the Queen as "Empress of 
India" took place on January ist, 1877, ^^ Calcutta, 
Bombay, Madras and Delhi. Lord Lytton, Viceroy, 
presided at a durbar, when sixty-three ruling chiefs 
were assembled. 

Sarah A. Tooley, who, we understand, was present 
at Delhi on the occasion, thus describes the scene : 

"Far away in sunny India was enacted, on the ist 
of January, 1877, a scene the most brilliant and unique 
of any connected with the glorious reign of Victoria. 
At the Imperial Camp, outside the walls of Delhi, 
where the Mutiny had raged the fiercest. Her Majesty 
was proclaimed Empress of India. On a throne of 
Oriental splendor, above which was the portrait of 
the Empress, sat Lord Lytton, her Viceroy ; the Gov- 
ernors, Lieutenants, State ofificials and the Maharajahs, 
Rajahs, Nabobs and Princes, with their glittering ret- 
inues grouped around him. B-ehlnd rose the vast 
amphitheatre, filled with- foreign Ambassadors and 
notables, around was the concourse of spettatOrs and 



292 LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 

a brilliant array of fifteen thousand troops, while to 
complete the gorgeous scene the whole assemblage 
was surrounded by an unbroken chain of elephants 
decked with gay trappings. After the Proclamation 
had been made with all the pomp of heraldry, the 
Viceroy presented to each of the feudatory Princes 
the Empress' gift, a magnificent standard, made by 
Messrs. Elkington, after a design chosen by Her 
Majesty. The standards were ornamented with the 
sacred water lily of India, spreading palms of the 
East, and the rose of England, it being the desire 
of the Empress to indicate that as the rose and lily 
intertwined beneath the spreading palm, so was the 
welfare of India to become one with that of her older 
dominions, and the motto, "Heaven's light our 
guide," illustrated the spirit in which she desired to 
govern the enormous empire of which she ever fondly 
speaks as 'a bright jewel in her crown.' Most notice- 
able in the brilliant gathering was the Begum of Bho- 
pal, a lady Knight of the Most Noble Order of Queen 
Victoria. There was nothing to be seen of the lady 
save a bundle of floating azure silk, which indicated 
that she was inside, and upon the place where the 
left shoulder was supposed to be was emblazoned 
the shield of the Star of India. Much cheap wit was 
expended after Her Majesty's accession on the rise of 
the 'royal sex,' and it was said that the young Queen 
intended to establish an Order of Female Knighthood. 
The prophecy of the scoffer seemed to have been 
more than fulfilled in the figure of this Hindoo lady 
wearing the Order of the Star of India. Though she 
was not valiant enough to show her face, yet her 
presence was a good omen for that emancipation of 



LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 293 

the women of her country from the sechision of the 
zenana which is fittingly distinguishing the reign of 
the British Empress. On the day of the Proclamation 
at Delhi, the Queen conferred the Grand Cross of 
^India upon the Duke of Connaught, and when in 1879 
she became a great-grandmother, by the birth of a 
daughter to the Princess of Saxe-Meiningen (Princess 
Charlotte of Prussia), she celebrated her ancient dig- 
nity by investing twelve noble ladies of her Court with 
the Imperial Order of the Crown of India. 

"The keenest interest has always been shown by 
the Queen in the condition of Hindoo women. 
It was with heartfelt thankfulness that she saw the 
barbarous suttee abolished, and it was her influence 
which inspired the rapid spread of zenana work. In 
July, 1881, she received at Windsor Miss Beilby, a 
medical missionary from India ; and after listening to 
her account of the sufferings of Hindoo women, in 
time of illness, for need of doctors, the Queen turned 
to her ladies and said, 'We had no idea that things 
were as bad as this.' Miss Beilby then took from a 
locket which she wore round her neck a folded piece 
of paper containing a message to Her Majesty from 
the Maharanee of Poonah. 'The women of India 
sufifer when they are sick,' was the burden of the 
dark-eyed Queen's appeal. The Empress returned 
her a message of sympathy and help, and to the 
women of our own land the Queen said, 'We desire it 
to be generally known that we sympathize with every 
efifort made to relieve the sufifering state of the women 
of India ;' and when Lord Dufferin went out as Gov- 
ernor-General, she commissioned Lady Dufiferin to 
establish a permanent fund for providing qualified 



294 LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 

women doctors for work in India. Her Majesty con- 
tinues to take the greatest interest in this work, and 
is in constant communication with the Viceroy's wife 
regarding its further organization and extension." 

In December of this year 1877 Her Majesty 
honored Lord Beaconsfield with a "private" visit. 
Lord Melbourne and Sir Robert Peel were the only 
two of her Ministers whom the Queen had so 
honored. Lord Beaconsfield was the third. Though 
the visit was distinctly a "private" one, the secret was 
found out and the people of Wycombe were only too 
glad to show their loyalty. 

"With barely three days' notice," says the Graphic 
for December, 1877, "they managed to decorate the 
town in a manner which did great credit to their taste 
and energy. There was a profusion of flags, flowers 
and evergreens. Triumphal arches of verdure and 
blossom were erected in several places, and at one 
part there was an arch constructed almost entirely of 
chairs, the staple commodity of the town — chairs of 
every imaginable kind and material, from the sub- 
stantial Windsor to the delicate drawing-room struc- 
ture which is more elegant than reliable. The Queen, 
accompanied by Princess Beatrice, left Windsor 
shortly before one o'clock, and on the arrival of the 
royal train at the Wycombe railway station Her 
Majesty was received by Lord Beaconsfield, who 
returned thanks in her name for the inevitable 
address from the mayor, aldermen and burgesses in 
council assembled, which was handed up and 'taken 
as read.' 

"Miss Phillips, the daughter of the mayor, then 
presented Her Majesty and the Princess with mag- 



LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 295 

nificent bouquets, and amid great cheers of welcome 
and the strains of the National Anthem from the 
voices of the school children, Her Majesty passed to 
the open carriage which was to take her to Hugh- 
enden Manor. The cortege passed slowly through 
the decorated streets of the town, and then quickly 
onwards to its destination. Her Majesty remained at 
Hughenden about two hours, lunching with Lord 
Beaconsfield, and afterwards planting a tree upon the 
lawn in commemoration of the visit. Princess Bea- 
trice also planted a tree. On the way back to the rail- 
way station Her Majesty ordered her carriage to be 
stopped, that she might more closely inspect the arch 
of chairs. 

"After the departure of the royal train for Windsor, 
the members of the corporation feasted together in 
celebration of the honor which had been done to the 
town." 

Once more the shadows of death hover about the 
throne. It seems as if the royal family were only 
not exempt from the ''ills" to which flesh is heir, but 
several members of that family seem to have been 
actual victims of bad drainage. After a brief visit to 
Eastbourne the Grand Duke and the Princess Alice 
returned to Darmstadt, which is, or was, unfortu- 
nately, badly drained, their eldest daughter, the Prin- 
cess Victoria Alberta, then fifteen, was seized by diph- 
theria; the Princesses Alix, Irene and Marie took it 
in quick succession; the little hereditary Grand Duke 
(ten years old) and the Grand Duke himself after 
them. Only the Princess Elizabeth and the Grand 
Duchess escaped, and Princess Ella (as she was 
called) was at once sent out of the palace. The 



296 LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 

mother remained to nurse her darhngs. The Httle 
Princess "May," only four years old, and who was 
dearly loved by the whole family, died; while the 
chief anxiety had been entirely for the only boy left — 
the heir, who was dangerously ill. The sorrow of the 
Princess for her little darling was intense. She was 
already in a low state of health, exhausted by the 
nursing, and by her anxiety for all her little ones. 
The Queen had sent Sir William Jenner over directly 
she heard of their illness, and he had warned the 
Princess not to kiss her patients, as the disease is 
dreadfully infectious; but it is said she forgot this 
advice when she saw the agonizing grief of her little 
son for his pet sister, threw her arms around him, and 
kissed him. Poor little fellow ! She had not forgotten 
how he had pined for little "Frittie," who fell from 
the window, and how he had then said, "When I die 
you must die too, and all the others. Why can't we 
all die together? I don't like to die alone like 
Frittie." 

That loving mother's kiss was fatal. 

She was ill only a week. On the 14th of December 
— the seventeenth anniversary of the Prince Consort's 
death, she passed from death to the life that lies 
beyond: murmuring as she passed, "May — Dear 
Papa." 

The Rev. Charles Bullock says: 

"The last Sunday that the Prince passed on earth 
was a very blessed one for Princess Alice to look 
back upon. He was very ill and weak, and she spent 
the afternoon with him alone, while the others were 
in church. He begged to have his sofa drawn to the 
window that he might see the sky and the clouds 



LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 297 

sailing past. He then asked her to play to him, and 
she went through several of his favorite hymns and 
chorales. After she had played some time, she looked 
round and saw him lying back, his hands folded as 
if in prayer, and his eyes shut. He lay so long with- 
out moving that she thought he had fallen asleep. 
Presently he looked up and smiled. She said, 'Were 
you asleep, dear papa?' 'Oh, no,' he answered, 'only 
I have such sweet thoughts.' During his illness his 
hands were often folded in prayer, and when he did 
speak, his serene face showed that the 'happy 
thoughts' were with him to the end, 

"The Princess Alice's fortitude amazed us all. She 
saw from the first that both her father's and her 
mother's firmness depended on her firmness, and she 
set herself to the duty. He loved to speak openly of 
his condition, and had many wishes to express. He 
loved to hear hymns and prayers. He could not 
speak to the Queen of herself, for she could not bear 
to listen, and shut her eyes to the danger." 

The remains of the Princess were interred in the 
mausoleum at Rosenhohe on May the i8th of the 
following year. The Prince of Wales, Prince Leopold 
and Prince Christian being among the mourners. 

Once more the troubled Queen turns her sad heart 
to the nation. The Princess Alice was dear to the 
nation. She had won a place by her self-sacrificing 
gentleness and grace in the innermost hearts of the 
nation. If they were proud of the Princess they loved 
the woman and the mother who passed so suddenly 
from the ministry of love to the land where shadows 
never gather and tears never fall. 

The Duke of Connaught was married on the 13th 



298 LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 

of March, 1879, to the Princess Louise of Prussia at 
St. George's, Windsor. 

Few things in these sad years cost the Queen more 
grief than the tragedy of Rorke's Drift and the 
untimely taking off of the Prince Imperial of France. 

The young Prince Imperial, the son of Louis 
Napoleon, had been studying at the EngHsh Military 
College at Woolwich. He now desired to fight in 
the English army, and offered his services to Lord 
Chelmsford as a volunteer. But one day he asked 
and obtained permission to go out with a party of 
men and an officer on a reconnaissance, and had been 
sketching quietly in the nook where they were all 
seated, when they were surprised by a few Zulus. The 
officer who commanded them seemed to be seized 
with panic ; he took no thought for the gallant French 
Prince, but mounted his horse and galloped off at 
full speed, followed by his men. The Prince could 
not succeed in mounting his horse; he faced the foe 
and fought bravely for his life, but was assegaied 
from a distance by the savages. His death caused 
the greatest consternation and indignation in the 
camp, and the Queen's grief and horror we must 
leave herself to tell, remembering how fond she had 
always been of the Empress Eugenie and her boy, 
and how much the sympathy with her widowhood had 
drawn the royal friends together. 

The sad news reached Her Majesty at Balmoral. 

"At twenty minutes to eleven/' writes the Queen, 
"Brown knocked and came in, and said there was 
bad news; and vv^hen I in alarm asked him what, he 
repHed, 'The young French Prince is killed,' and when 
I couldn't take it in and asked several times what it 



LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 299 

meant, Beatrice, who then came in with the telegram 
in her hand, said, 'Oh, the Prince Imperial is killed!' 
I feel a sort of horror now as I write the words." 

The Queen erected this year a beautiful cross of 
Aberdeenshire granite, twelve feet three inches high, 
to the memory of the Grand Duchess Princess Alice, 
at Balmoral. It bears the inscription: 

To the Dear Memory 

of 

Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse, 

Princess of Great Britain and Ireland, 

Born April 25, 1843, died December 14, 1878. 

This Is Erected 

By Her Sorrowing Mother, 

Queen Victoria. 

"Her name shall live though now she is no more." 

In April a trial of another kind awaited the Queen. 
She lost one of her most devoted friends, in whom 
she had learned to confide — Benjamin Disraeli, Lord 
Beaconsfield died of bronchitis on the 19th of April. 

Almost immediately after his resignation of office, 
on the defeat of his party, he had published his last 
novel, "Endymion." He then retired to Hughenden 
Manor, but came up to town for the session of 188 1, 
and died in Curzon Street, lamented by all parties. 

His career had been a very remarkable one every 
way, and had a romantic interest for many. His 
funeral was attended by the Prince of Wales, the 
Duke of Connaught, Prince Leopold, most of the 
members of his former Cabinet, and many members 
of both Houses of Parliament. The Royal Princes 
with their own hands laid on the bier the wreaths 
sent by the Queen and the Princesses. Her Majesty 



300 LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 

sent two wreaths — one of primroses, with the 
inscription, "His favorite flowers, from Osborne; a 
tribute of affection from Queen Victoria." The other 
was of bay leaves and everlasting flowers. 

Half of the memorable year 1881 was to America 
a time of agonizing suspense. Since the awful days 
of the Civil War, no sorrow had struck the heart of 
the nation with such anguish as that which summoned 
her to keep sacred vigil by the death-bed of her second 
great martyr President. The life beloved by all the 
land, was slipping, inch by inch, hair's-breadth by 
hair's-breadth away, to the silent shoreless sea. It 
seems as though a great republic must be willing 
sometimes to pay, as the awful price of its existence, 
the martyrdom of some of its noblest sons. Twice 
within the memory of living men the President of the 
Republic has fallen before the bullet of the assassin. 
When on that mournful day in 1865, all the world 
awoke in horror to learn that Abraham Lincoln had 
been shot to the death, James A. Garfield, who was 
then in New York, addressed a great crowd of his 
fellow-countrymen, and waving with trembling hand 
the banner of the stars and stripes, uttered these mem- 
orable words: "My countrymen! let us take heart 
and hope. Abraham Lincoln is dead!" — and ^hen a 
great sigh broke from the vast multitude like the sob 
of a great unquiet sea — "but God reigns, and the 
Government at Washington still lives!" 

Brave, bold words were these! The words of a 
man who believed in God and righteousness, and in 
the great land for which he had fought on many a 
battlefield! 

Fifteen years passed by, and this brave soul was 



LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 301 

struck by the blow of the assassin and was destined 
to be the second great martyr President of the 
American Republic, This is no place to enter at large 
on the motives that lay at the back of the assassin's 
bullet. Let it be admitted that Guiteau was insane, 
it is none the less true that Mr. Garfield was the victim 
of unhappy political strife. He himself, in the later 
days of his sad experiences, wrote on a tablet, on 
the 17th of July of 1881, this impressive Latin phrase 
that clearly indicated what he thought on the whole 
matter: 

"Strangulus pro Republica." 

His last days were very full of tender pathos. 

To his old friend, Colonel Rockwell, he said: 

"Old Friend! Do you think my name will have a 
place in human history?" 

The Colonel answered: "Why, most certainly; but 
it will have a grander place in human hearts. Old 
friend, you mustn't talk in this way. You have a 
great work yet to perform." 

After a moment's silence, he said, sadly and 
solemnly: 

"No; my work is done!"- 

And so, indeed, it was. The sad story of the latest 
hours we owe to Colonel Rockwell, who tells with 
tenderness the story of the last sad scene: 

"And now we approach the fatal hour. After a 
comparatively comfortable afternoon, having taken 
and retained the usual quantity of nourishment, restful 
and cheerful, comforted and supported by the pres- 
ence of his wife during most of the day and all of the 
evening, we had hopes of a better night than the 
previous one. Here I must again allude to a most 



302 LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 

touching trait of this illustrious man. The thought- 
fulness shown for all about him endured even to the 
end. Often during his sickness, in his great care for 
her rest, after the fatigues of the day, he gently urged 
Mrs. Garfield to retire from the bedside, even when 
she herself could scarcely bear to leave. His heart 
was not only great, but tender as that of a child. 

"Upon this last evening I had just inquired of her 
if she was not in danger of too great fatigue. She 
replied: 

" The General seems so comfortable and quiet that 
it has rested me to remain.' 

"After making some arrangements for the Presi- 
dent's comfort, and after the arrival of General Swaim, 
who was the nurse for the first part of the night, she 
left the sick-room and retired. I afterward re-entered 
the room, took the pulse, and left the President quietly 
sleeping. I then returned to my room to prepare the 
directions for the night, where I was visited by 
Colonel Rockwell, who earnestly discussed with me 
the probability of a favorable night. The Colonel was 
to reheve General Swaim at 2:30 a. m. I myself did 
not intend to sleep until after twelve o'clock, as I 
had some special observations to make at that hour, 
should the President be awake and his condition favor- 
able. Colonel Rockwell left the room lo seek his 
much-needed rest.- At io:io I was looking over some 
of the wonderful productions of the human imagina- 
tion which each mail brought me, when the faithful 
Dan suddenly appeared at the door of communication, 
and said: 

" 'General Swaim wants y6u, quick!' He preceded 
me to the room, took the candle from behind the 



LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 303 

screen near the door, and raised it so that the light 
fell full upon the face, so soon to settle in the rigid 
lines of death. Observing the pallor, the upturned 
eyes, the gasping respiration, and the total uncon- 
sciousness, I, with uplifted hands, exclaimed, 'My 
God, Swaim! the President is dying!' Turning to 
the servant, I added, 'Call Mrs. Garfield immediately, 
and on your return, Doctors Agnew and Hamilton.' 
On his way to Mrs. Garfield's room, he notified 
Colonel Rockwell, who was the first member of the 
household in the room. Only a moment elapsed 
before Mrs. Garfield was present. She exclaimed, 
'Oh! what is the matter?' I said, 'Mrs. Garfield, the 
President is dying.' Leaning over her husband, and 
fervently kissing his brow, she exclaimed, 'Oh, why 
am I made to suffer this cruel wrong?' Meantime, 
by what seemed some mysterious means of commu- 
nication, the whole household was present at once. 
Mrs. Garfield, Mrs. Rockwell, Miss Mollie Garfield, 
Miss Rockwell, Mr. C. O. Rockwell, Mr. J. Stanley 
Brown, Dr. Agnew, Dr. Boynton, the servants, and 
myself, were the witnesses of the last sad scene in 
this sorrowful history, 

"While summoning Mrs. Garfield, I had in vain 
sought for the pulse at the wrist, next at the carotid 
artery, and last by placing my ear over the region of 
the heart. Restoratives, which were always at hand, 
were instantly resorted to. In almost every conceiv- 
able way it was sought to revive the rapidly yielding 
vital forces. A faint, fluttering pulsation of the heart, 
gradually fading to indistinctness, alone rewarded my 
examinations. At last, only a few moments after the 
first alarm, at 10:35, I raised my head from the breast 



3G4 LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 

of my dead friend, and said to the sorrowful group, 
'It is over.' So gradual was the final passage across 
the dark river that for a few moments I doubted the 
accuracy of my senses. The President's worn face 
changed but little in death. 

"We thought him dying when he slept. 
And sleeping when he died." 

"I cannot describe this scene. The vital spark had 
gone. No human skill or courage of heart could 
longer avail. The once magnificent physique, which 
had been so constantly and tenderly watched, lay 
untenanted before us. There was no sound — not even 
of weeping. All hearts were stilled." 

When it was known that Mr. Garfield had passed 
from sorrow and pain into the quiet of the "Silent 
Land," there was deep, universal sorrow, not in 
America alone, but throughout Europe. The court 
of. Great Britain took an unusual course. It went into 
public mourning for a season, a course which hereto- 
fore had never been done except in the case of the 
demise of a crowned head. The President was 
buried on the 24th of September, and it is pleasant 
to know that one of the largest and most exquisite of 
all the floral decorations on the bier of the departed 
warrior was from the Queen of England, bearing this 
card of kind and generous inscription: 

"Queen Victoria to the memory of the late Presi- 
dent Garfield: an expression of her sorrow and her 
sympathy with Mrs, Garfield and the American 
nation." 

In January, 1882, the Queen had another grand- 
child to rejoice over, the infant daughter of the Duke 




DUKE OF YORK, 



LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 305 

and Duchess of Connaught. The princess was named 
Margaret Victoria, Augusta, Charlotte Norah. 

Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, was married at 
St. George's, Windsor, to the Princess Helen of 
Waldeck, on the 27th of April, 1882. 

On the 13th of September was fought the terrible 
battle of Tel-el-Kebir. The Duke of Connaught was 
in command of a brigade of the Grenadier Guards. 
It is easy to understand how deeply, how intensely 
anxious Her Majesty was for the sake of her soldiers 
generally, but especially for the sake of her son. Lord 
Wolesley says, in speaking of this conflict: 

"Our troops behaved with great gallantry, the 
Highland Brigade bearing the brunt of the battle, in 
which 2,000 Egyptians fell, and over 3,000 were taken 
prisoners. The Brigade of Grenadier Guards, under 
the command of the Duke of Connaught, were sta- 
tioned in the second line of the British army during 
the attack on Tel-el-Kebir as supports to General 
Willis' infantry brigade. Though not nominally in 
the post of danger, as the assault was, of course, begun 
by the first rank, the Guards suffered far more in pro- 
portion from the enemy's fire owing to the Egyptians, 
who had some vague inkling of an approaching 
attack, having sighted their guns for 2,000 yards, 
never dreaming that the British troops could advance 
closer to their lines unperceived. The first line, how- 
ever, had advanced to within 1,200 yards before they 
were discovered, and consequently the shots flew over 
their heads and into the ranks of their supports 
behind." "As they (the Guards) lay 1,000 yards 
behind," writes the Daily Telegraph correspondent, 
"itching to be in with their bayonets, shell and shot 

20 



306 LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 

fell rapidly into their ranks, and it was a cruel time, 
for no blows could be struck in return. Several times 
when the storming line seemed wavering, the Guards 
were on the point of rushing into the melee, and the 
gallant young Duke of Connaught, who sat imper- 
turbed upon his horse amidst the rain of bullets, must 
surely have been much exercised to restrain the sturdy 
brigade from joining in the hand-to-hand fray. En 
revanche, let a word of sincere tribute be paid to the 
Royal Prince, whose example has been excellent, and 
his bearing what is was sure to be, from first to last 
in this campaign." 

How the Queen bore the suspense of waiting to 
hear of her son's conduct and of his safety she has 
herself told us in one of the most interesting of her 
"Leaves." 

"Monday, September ii, 1886. 

"Received a telegram in cipher from Sir John 
McNeill, marked very secret, saying that it was 
'determined to attack the enemy with a very large 
force on Wednesday.' How anxious this made us, 
God only knows; and yet this long delay had also 
made us very anxious. No one to know, though all 
expected something at the time. 

"Tuesday, September 12. 

"Drove at ten minutes to five, with Beatrice, 
Louischen, and Harriet, to the Glen Gelder Shiel, 
where we had tea, and I sketched. The sky was so 
beautiful. We walked on the road back, and came 
home at twenty minutes past seven. How anxious we 
felt I need not say; but we tried not to give way. 
Only the ladies dined with us. 

"I prayed earnestly for my darling child, and longed 



LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 307 

for the morrow to arrive. Read Korner's beautiful 
'Gebet vor der Schlacht,' 'Vater, ich rufe Dich' 
(Prayer before the Battle, 'Father, I call on Thee'). 
My beloved husband used to sing it often. My 
thoughts were entirely fixed on Egypt and the coming 
battle. My nerves were strained to such a pitch by 
the intensity of my anxiety and suspense that they 
seemed to feel as though they were all alive. 

"Wednesday, September 13. 

"Woke very often. Raw and dull. Took my short 
walk, and breakfasted in the cottage. Had a telegram 
that the army marched out last night. What an 
anxious moment! We walked afterwards as far as 
the arch for Leopold's reception, which was a very 
pretty one, and placed as nearly where it had been on 
previous occasions, only rather nearer Middleton's 
lodge, and thence back to the cottage, where I sat 
and wrote and signed, etc. 

"Another telegram, also from Renter, saying that 
fighting was going on, and that the enemy had been 
routed with heavy loss at Tel-el-Kebir. Much 
agitated. 

"On coming in got a telegram from Sir John Mc- 
Neill, saying, 'A great victory; Duke safe and well.' 
Sent all to Louischen, the Duchess of Connaught. 
The excitement very great. Felt unbounded joy and 
gratitude for God's great goodness and mercy. 

"The same news came from Lord Granville and Mr. 
Chjlders, though not yet from Sir Garnet Wolseley. 
A little later, just before two, came the following most 
welcome and gratifying telegram from Sir Garnet 
Wolseley : 



308 LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. 

" 'Ismalia, September 13, 1882. 

" 'Tel-el-Kebir. — From Wolseley to the Queen, 
Balmoral. 

*'' 'Attacked Arabi's position at five this morning. 
His strongly entrenched position was most bravely 
and gallantly stormed by the Guards and line, while 
cavalry and horse artillery worked round their left 
flank. At seven o'clock I was in complete possession 
of his whole camp. Many railway trucks, with quan- 
tities of supplies, fallen into our hands. Enemy com- 
pletely routed, and his loss has been very heavy; also 
regret to say we have suffered severely. Duke of 
Connaught is well, and behaved admirably, leading 
his brigade to the attack.' 

"Brown brought the telegram, and followed me to 
Beatrice's room, where Louischen was, and I showed 
it to her. I was myself quite upset, and embraced 
her warmly, saying what joy and pride and cause of 
thankfulness it was to know our darling safe, and so 
much praised! I feel quite beside myself for joy and 
gratitude, though grieved to think of our losses, 
which, however, have not proved to be so serious as 
first reported. We were both much overcome." 

In the last days of March, 1884, death came once 
more to the royal household. On the 28th of the 
month the beloved Leopold, the Duke of Albany, died 
at Cannes. 

The sorrowful Queen once more turned to her loyal 
people and Vv^rote: 

"Windsor Castle, April 14th, 1884. 

"I have on several previous occasions given per- 
sonal expression to my deep sense of the loving 
sympathy and loyalty of my subjects in all parts of 



LIFE'S BITTER-SWEET. S09 

my Empire. I wish, therefore, in my present grievous 
bereavement, to thank them most warmly for the very 
gratifying m.anner in which they have shown not only 
their sympathy with me, and my dear so-deeply- 
afflicted daughter-in-law, and my other children, but 
also their high appreciation of my beloved son's 
great qualities of head and heart, and of the loss he is 
to the country, and to me. The affectionate sympathy 
of my loyal people, which has never failed me in weal 
or woe, is very soothing to my heart. 

"Though much shaken and sorely afflicted by the 
many sorrows and trials which have fallen upon me 
during these past years, I will not lose courage, and, 
with the help of Him who has never forsaken me, will 
strive to labor on for the sake of my children, and 
for the good of the country I love so well, as long 
as I can. 

"My dear daughter-in-law, the Duchess of Albany, 
who bears her terrible misfortune with the most 
admirable^ touching and unmurmuring resignation to 
the will of God, is also deeply gratified by the univer- 
sal sympathy and kind feeling evinced towards her. 

"I would wish, in conclusion, to express my grati- 
tude to ail other countries for their sympathy — 
above all, to the neighboring one where my beloved 
son breathed his last, and for the great respect and 
kindness shown on that mournful occasion. 

"victoria R. AND I." 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



GORDON THE HERO OF KHARTOUM. 

Earlier in this volume we called attention to the 
gallant deeds of General Gordon in China. When he 
came home to England in 1864 he was the lion of the 
season. All London, all England, the whole con- 
tinent, did him honor. Then came six happy, peaceful 
years in Gravesend, where the warrior of many years 
indulged in the luxuries of peace. A sincere Episco- 
palian, and a regular attendant on his parish church, 
he engaged in all those practical forms of Christian 
service which are dear to a man of his active, zealous 
turn of mind. He visited the sick, soothed the sor- 
rowful with many kindly words, helped the distressed, 
taught poor and ragged children how they might live 
good, brave lives. He was a wise, generous, helpful 
soul. His foes feared him, but he was loved a thou- 
sand times more by his friends than he had ever been 
feared by his foes. 

In 1871 the Gravesend days, the brightest spot of 
all his checkered career, came to an end. He was 
appointed British Commissioner of the Danube, 
which ofifice he held till 1873. 

At the close of 1873, by the consent of the British 
Government and the Khedive's special application, 
Gordon started for Cairo to occupy the position of 
Governor of the Soudan. 

But this was not destined to prove a garden of 
roses. He was beset with the mutinous conduct of 

810 



GORDON THE HERO OF KHARTOUM. 311 

the small force at his command, and the absolute 
insmcerity of the Egyptian authorities at Cairo. 

After three troubled yeiirs, Gordon, weary at heart, 
returned to England; at the urgent request of the 
Khedive, Gordon undertook another mission to the 
Soudan and once more made Cairo his home. But 
things went worse than before, and in July, 1879, he 
left the Soudan, after the Khedive Ismail had been 
deposed, in favor of his son Tewfik. 

In 1882 Gordon took command of troops in Cape 
Colony, but he did not hold that position long. Then 
he went to Jerusalem and entertained the dream of 
connecting the River Jordan, by canal, with the Red 
Sea. 

In February, 1884, accompanied by Lieutenant- 
Colonel Stewart, he arrived in Khartoum. His prog- 
ress southward from Cairo had been a continuous 
triumph. At Berber and at Khartoum the Soudanese 
welcomed him with the most pronounced enthusiasm. 

In less than a month after his arrival at Khartoum, 
the Mahdi and his Emirs, or lieutenants, succeeded in 
spreading insurrection throughout most of the Nile 
districts between Khartoum and Berber. 

The Soudan is a vast tract of Africa, stretching from 
Egypt on the north to the Nyanza Lakes on the south, 
and from the Red Sea on the east to Darfur in the 
west. It was conquered by Mehemet AH, Pasha of 
Egypt, the very year our Queen was born, and has 
been ruled with more or less success by Egypt ever 
since. 

The Soudan was garrisoned by Egyptian troops, 
who were installed at the towns of Berber, Dongola, 
Khartoum, Sinkat, and Tohkat. Suddenly the Mahdi 



312 GORDON THE HERO OF KHARTOUM. 

appeared, and many of the tribes of the Soudan at 
once followed his standard, believing him to be, as 
he professed he was, the prophet foretold by 
Mahomet, who was to lead the Mahometans to victory 
against the infidels. 

The Egyptian Government, of course aware of the 
danger of letting such a rebellion spread, engaged a 
retired Indian officer^ Colonel Hicks, to command an 
army destined to march against the Mahdi, but the 
chief part of the troops put under the Englishman's 
command were the defeated and disgraced soldiers 
of Arabi, sent as a punishment to the Soudan. These 
poor fellows, however, are said to have fought bravely 
at Kashgate, fighting for three days without water 
against the Mahdi's troops till they were absolutely 
annihilated. The Egyptian garrisons were now in 
extreme danger, surrounded and hemmed in by the 
fierce fanatics who followed the pretended prophet, 
and the English Government scarcely knew how to 
act. At last both they and the public made up their 
minds that one man alone could extricate the Khe- 
dive's doomed soldiers, and after a pause he was 
appHed to: this man bore the sobriquet of "Chinese" 
Gordon. 

Gordon's first care was to send all the women and 
children out of the town, having them taken under 
safe escort to Egypt. There were two thousand of 
them thus rescued from death or slavery. 

But diflBculties thickened round his path, and he 
began to see that quieting down the Soudan was 
beyond his power; neither could he perceive any way 
of rescuing the besieged Egyptian garrisons, or even 
those in Khartoum. Therefore, as a last resource, he 



GORDON THE HERO OF KHARTOUM. 313 

issued a proclamation that seemed to uphold slavery 
—that at least permitted it for the present; and next 
he asked the English Government to send him Zebehr, 
a man who had given him the most trouble when he 
was Governor of the Soudan, being the chief of the 
Arab slave-drivers, who had been tried at Cairo and 
sentenced to death, but had been pardoned. Gordon, 
however, saw that it was the only chance of effective 
opposition to the Mahdi to set up this man in his 
own place as Governor of Khartoum. But no notice 
was taken of his request, and the adherents of the 
Mahdi, who now nearly surrounded the city, began 
a harassing system of attack. 

Gordon had environed the town with a most won- 
derful cordon of defences in the shape of mines and 
torpedoes, but shot fell constantly into the place, 
though it was really not to be gained by an assault. 
His troops made several sorties ; in one of these the 
treachery of the leaders of it, two pashas, was so 
• apparent that Gordon, on their re-entrance into the 
town with troops led back, but not defeated, had them 
tried by court-martial, and they were condemned to 
be shot. The sentence was carried out, for Gordon, 
with all his humanity, possessed the quality of justice. 
Before the end of March the city was invested. Two 
Egyptian officers— Hassan Pacha and Syad Pacha— 
to whom he entrusted the conduct of the expedition, 
proved traitorous. They -met with their reward- 
death by the Governor-General's orders. The tide of 
insurrection then closed round Khartoum. By the 
beginning of May the Arabs, crossing the Blue Nile, 
had established themselves at Buri, a distance of 
about a mile from the eastern corner of the entrench- 



314 GORDON THE HERO OF KHARTOUM. 

ments. But at this spot the besiegers sufifered terribly 
from the mines which General Gordon had laid down. 
On May 7th, nine mines were exploded during an 
attack, and nearly one hundred and twenty of the 
Mahdi's troops blown to pieces in consequence. 

On the 25th of June General Gordon and his gallant 
companions and their garrison, still faithful, had their 
first news of the fall of Berber, but he and his com- 
panions prosecuted the defence with greater vigor than 
ever. On the 29th of July, Gordon drove the rebels 
out of Buri, killed numbers of them, captured quanti- 
ties of rifles and ammunition, and cleared them out 
of thirteen zerebas, or stockades, which they had con- 
structed on the river banks. At the end of July, in less 
than six months. General Gordon had lost seven hun- 
dred men. 

Gordon was not a man to hesitate about speaking 
his mind. He sent the following telegram to Sir E. 
Baring: 

"As far as I can understand, the situation is this: 
You state your intention of not sending any relief up 
here or to Berber, and you refuse me Zebehr. I 
consider myself free to act according to circumstances. 
I shall hold on here as long as I can, and if I can 
suppress the rebellion I shall do so. If I cannot I 
shall retire to the Equator, and leave you the indelible 
disgrace of abandoning the garrisons of Sennaar, 
Kassala, Berber, and Dongola, with the certainty that 
you will eventually be forced to smash up the Mahdi 
under great difficulties, if you would retain peace in 
Egypt." 

If then the brave soldier had had a small force of 
500 or 600 British sent to him, he would have SUC' 



GORDON THE HERO OF KHARTOUM. 315 

ceeded in his work, and the cruel slaughter of Berber, 
and our own losses of gallant leaders and dauntless 
soldiers in the desert would have been spared. 

Alone; abandoned amidst savage foes; without 
money; his promises of British aid (on which he had 
naturally trusted) unredeemed, and his word begin- 
ning to be doubted, "We appear even as liars to the 
people of Khartoum," he wrote. Gordon must have 
felt equal indignation and despair. But he struggled 
bravely on. 

Meantime, England awoke to the true position of 
one of the noblest of her sons, and popular sympathy 
grew warm and earnest. Private individuals would 
have sent succor if they had been allowed. A lady 
offered £ 5,000 as the nucleus of a voluntary subscrip- 
tion to pay hired troops. 

Sir Charles Wilson himself went on in a steamer to 
deliver Gordon. But it was too late. On getting in 
sight of Khartoum no Egyptian flags were seen, and 
by-and-by, when they had managed, under a heavy- 
fire, to approach within eight hundred yards of Khar- 
toum, they saw that the streets were thronged with 
the swarthy followers of the Mahdi. A battery com- 
manding the stream had also been erected, and its 
fire rendered approach impossible, as the steamer must 
have been sunk. Suspecting that Gordon was dead 
or a prisoner, the disappointed general turned sadly 
back, and had again to run the gauntlet between the 
river banks alive with foes. By the treachery of his 
helmsman the steamer was, however, wrecked half- 
way down the stream, and Sir Charles and his men 
were shipwrecked on a rock or island. 

The delay in their return brought Lord Charles 



S16 GORDON THE HERO OF KHARTOUM. 

Beresford in search of them, who, after bravely en- 
countering great danger, succeeded in rescuing them. 

It was thought useless and imprudent to go on to 
the city with such an insufficient force, especially when 
the news reached them the next day that Gordon was 
slain. He had been betrayed by his own black troops, 
and the Mahdi had been admitted to the town through 
an opened portal. The gallant Gordon was one of the 
first slain; happily he was not taken alive and tor- 
tured as he might have been. He had passed swiftly 
to his heavenly rest. 

On the 23rd of July, 1885, the Princess Beatrice 
was married to Prince Henry of Battenberg at 
Whippingham Church. 

In the summer of 1885, Her Majesty, attended by 
a distinguished company, paid a visit to the Great 
American Exhibition, then being successfully held 
in West London. A special private afternoon per- 
formance of Buffalo Bill's wonderful "Wild West" 
entertainment was prepared exclusively for the royal 
party. 

The Queen and her suite arrived at the Earl's 
Court-road entrance shortly after five o'clock, and 
drove through the stables, and round the arena to a 
box specially constructed, and draped with crimson 
velvet. Her Majesty was accompanied by the Royal 
Highnesses Prince and Princess Henry of Battenberg, 
and was attended by the Dowager Duchess of Athole 
and the Hon. Ethel Cadogan, Sir Henry and Lady 
Ponsonby, General Lynedoch Gardiner, and Colonel 
Sir Henry Ewart. 

Before the performance commenced, the Marquis 
of Lome presented to Her Majesty the President of 



GORDON THE HERO OF KHARTOUM. 317 

the American Exhibition, Colonel H. S. Russell; the 
Director-General, Mr. John Robinson Whitley; and 
Mr. Vincent Applin, the secretary of the association. 
The following gentlemen connected with the execu- 
tive council of the exhibition and with the executive 
staff were also present: Lord Ronald Gower, Colonel 
Hughes-Hallett, M. P., Mr. John Priestman, Mr. 
Leigh Thornton, Colonel Griffen, Mr. J. Gilmour 
Speed, Mr. Frederick Penfield, Mr. A. Pickard, Mr. 
W. Goldring, Mr. Rufus M. Smith, Mr. Townsend 
Percy, Dr. Bidluck, and Mr. John Sartain. Her 
Majesty was graciously pleased to accept a bouquet 
of exotics from Miss Whitley, daughter of the 
Director-General. 

The performance of the "Wild West" greatly inter- 
ested the Queen, who at its conclusion commanded 
the Hon. W. F. Cody, "Buffalo Bill," to be presented 
to her, and expressed to him her entire satisfaction 
w-ith all she had seen. The Queen also spoke a few 
kind words to Miss Lilian Smith and Miss Annie 
Oakley, whose dexterous performances she had 
admired; and Miss Smith showed Her Majesty the 
rifle used in her shooting act. 

Mr. Nat SaHsbury, manager of the "Wild West," 
was next presented, and at Her Majesty's request he 
sent for two squaws, who came to her running across 
from the encampment with their papooses slung 
behind them. The Queen before leaving spoke a few 
words, through an interpreter, with "Red Shirt," a 
Sioux chief, whose stately demeanor, with his quiet 
assurance that he had come a long way to see Her 
Majesty and was well pleased to behold her, was duly 
appreciated. Her Majesty expressed to the President 



318 GORDON THE HERO OF KHARTOUM. 

and Director of the Exhibition her desire to return 
on a future occasion and see the fine art and other 
galleries of the Exhibition. The Queen and her suite 
left the Exhibition grounds at a quarter past six 
o'clock. An immense crowd had assembled in the 
Earl's Court-road, and cheered heartily as the royal 
carriages drove away. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE. 

"The minister was alight that day, but not with fire, 

I ween. 
And long-drawn glitterings swept adown that mighty 

aisled scene ; 
The priests stood stoled in their pomp, the sworded 

chiefs in theirs; 
And so, the collared knights ; and so, the civil 

Ministers ; 
And so, the waiting lords and dames, and little pages 

best 
At holding trains ; and legates so, from countries east 

and west; 
So alien Princes, native peers, and high-born ladies 

bright." 

E. B. Browning. 

The Jubilee of Her Majesty in the year 1887 was 
the second Royal Jubilee of the century. October 
the 25th, 1810, the Jubilee of George HI. was cele- 
brated. It was a sad occasion. There was no true 
festivity in the Festival. The reason of the King was 
tottering on its throne, when the Jubilee came round. 
But the true heart of England felt that it would be 
a slight to the royal family and unworthy of the nation 
to allow the 50th anniversary of the King's reign to 
pass without some demonstration. And though there 
was not much enthusiasm in the matter, the mani- 

819 



320 THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE. 

festations of loyalty, such as they were, were at least 
sincere. If England was not very proud of her King, 
he was still her King, and was not to be forgotten in 
the days of his darkness and sorrow. So every town 
and village roasted its ox, and made its plum pudding, 
and drank the King's liealth, "God bless him," in 
good old English ale. At Dunstable, we are told that 
a thousand men dined at one table. His Majesty's 
Navy had all the rum served out that the sailors could 
drink. Pardons were granted to prisoners of war and 
deserters. The officers in the King's service were all 
promoted. The country kept holiday, and London 
was very gay with tossing banners and musical with 
pealing bells. Every young man wore a blue-ribbon 
with a medal, and every young maiden was adorned 
with ribbons, which, as Dickens says, are "cheap and 
make a goodly show for sixpence." There were 
thanksgiving services in the churches for those who 
were prayerfully and piously inclined. There was a 
grand review in Hyde Park and at night fireworks 
aplenty. Strange to say, Ireland was most patriotic 
and loyal. The festival Vv'as kept up in the Emerald 
Isle for three days. Some of the Royal Family, how- 
ever, spent the day in London. The King was in his 
lonely rooms at Windsor, and to have left him alone, 
to share the festivities, would have been unkind. 
There was a thanksgiving service in St. George's 
Chapel, at which the King was present. The Queen 
gave a reception at night. But her heart was aching 
and all the Court was sad. So ended the Jubilee of ' 
King George III. 

The Jubilee of Queen Victoria was one of the 
grandest pageants, one of the most elaborate and loyal 




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demonstrations recorded in British history. The 
fifty years of the Queen's reign had been for the most 
part "happy and glorious;" such years of progress 
the world had never seen. It was meet that a grateful, 
loyal people should rejoice at the Jubilee of their 
beloved Queen. 

Early in the morning of June the 2ist, 1887, all 
England, and especially all London, was astir to greet 
the memorable day. The plan of the festivities was 
exceedingly simple. It included a state procession 
from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, a 
brief religious service, and then a return to the Palace 
by a different route from that taken in the morning. 
The great purpose of the Queen was that the engage- 
ments of the day might be shared in by as many of 
her people as possible. She loved to see the gathered 
crowds. Their shouts of welcome and their loyal 
anthems were music to her heart as well as to her 
ears. She had loved them and trusted them for half 
a century, and she loved and trusted them more than 
ever! 

The day was beautifully fine, one of those "rare" 
June days that English people call now "Queen's 
weather." The sun was up, bright and early, shining 
from a sky cloudless and serene. The air was rich 
with odors of "roses and jassamine and pink." It was 
a national holiday, all labor rested for a day, the 
wheels were silent in the mills, hstening to the merri- 
ment and delight of the people. Tens of thousands 
lined the streets. Piccadilly, Pall Mall, Westminster 
and Parliament street were all alive with happy 

throngs. You couldn't see the lions in Trafalgar 
21 



822 THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE. 

Square for the children who sat upon their royal backs 
and decorated with living beauty their tawny manes. 

By all sorts of means and messages, the Queen's 
subjects in all parts of her vast domains managed to 
have a voice and a share in the Jubilee, and the Queen 
had abundant assurance that wherever the flag of 
England floated her far-spread loyal family were doing 
homage, and from early dawn to setting sun "God 
save our gracious Queen" was being sung from mil- 
lions of loving lips. 

The procession started early from Buckingham 
Palace, but not the procession that went to West- 
minster so many years ago. Then the "observed of 
all observers" was a fair-haired girl, still in her teens, 
looking through the fairy glass of youth to the mys- 
teries of destiny. But the years have been telling 
strange mingled stories, and now a venerable lady, 
gray-haired and beautiful, with the beauty of advanc- 
ing years, comes to meet the thousands who strain 
their eyes to get one more glimpse of "the ideal 
mother, wife and Queen!" 

In the state carriage with the Queen were the 
Princess of Wales and the Crown-Princess of Prussia. 
Then came her sons and sons-in-law on horseback, 
forming a very charming cavalcade. This royal escort 
was most enthusiastically cheered, especially the Crown 
Prince of Germany, who had come to be a great 
favorite with the English people. 

In carriages that followed were other princesses: 
The three daughters of the Prince of Wales, their 
carriage looking like a bower of tulle and whiteness ; 
Princess Irene, the daughter of Princess Alice, was 
there, and their aunts, — the Princess Christian, Prin- 



THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE. 323 

cess Louise, Princess Beatrice and the Duchess of 
Edinburgh. 

The scene in the Abbey was very brilliant beyond, 
compare. What a goodly company! Here are three 
fair maidens with flapping Tuscan hats, covering 
heads that ran over with auburn curls. These are the 
daughters of the Duke of Edinburg, granddaughters 
of the Queen. Here the Duchess of Teck and her 
daughter. Princess May, attract loving attention. 
Indian princes in gorgeous attire, enswathed in costly 
shawls and resplendent with countless jewels. The 
Royalties of Greece and Belgium and Denmark were 
there. The Princess Lililokalani and her mother, 
Queen Emma of Hawaii, an Indian Mahranee, and a 
Prince of Japan in radiant splendor of feathers and 
jewels. 

The Queen for this happy day had set aside the 
black bonnet she had worn for six-and-twenty years, 
and wore a coronet-shaped bonnet of white lace and 
diamonds. 

The Abbey was densely crowded. On either side 
of the great nave, galleries, erected for the occasion, 
were filled with naval and militarj^ officers and their 
wives. 

The Judges, the Lord Mayor and the Common 
Councilmen of London were there in their splendors 
of ermine and crimson and gold. 

Arrangements were made for an immense dais or 
sacrarium, a wide structure covered with crimson, 
with the coronation chair in the center, in which the 
Queen sat, supported on the right hand by the royal 
princes and ou the left hand by the princesses. On 
one sid« of this sacrarium the members of the House 



324 THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE. 

of Lords appeared, and on the other the members of 
the House of Commons. Above was a diplomatic 
gallery all ablaze with the splendors of foreign courts. 

At last the royal company appeared. The garter 
king gave a signal, the trumpeters woke the echoes 
of the ancient Abbey, the Queen had arrived with her 
royal sons and daughters, and instantly the vast crowd 
arose. i 

The clergy of the Abbey came first, and behind 
them were the Bishop of London, the Archbishop of 
York, the Dean of Westminster and the Archbishop 
of Canterbury. After them came the Queen, attended 
by the princes and princesses of her family. The pro- 
cession having reached the dais, the Queen took her 
seat on the coronation chair, and Lord Lathom and 
Lord Mount-Edgcumbe placed the robes of State on 
her shoulders. 

The Archbishop of Canterbury began the service 
by the reading of appropriate passages of Scripture. 
Then came the Prince Consort's Te Deum, rendered 
by a choir of three hundred voices. After the reading 
of the lesson and three special collects came the Jubilee 
Anthem: "Blessed be the Lord thy God, which 
delighted in thee, to set thee on His throne, to be 
King for the Lord thy God; because thy God loved 
Israel, therefore made He thee King to do judgment 
and justice." 

The Archbishop then read three more collects and 
the service in the Prayer Book for the anniversary 
of the succession of a Sovereign. Then the benedic- 
tion was pronounced. So ended the religious service 
of this happy occasion. 

Th.e gorgeous .pageant of the Empire now became 



THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE. 325 

a simple, family reunion. The Queen now received 
the loving homage of her children. The Crown Prin- 
cess of Germany and the Prince of Wales prostrated 
themselves at the feet of their royal mother, but the 
Queen waived all ceremony that day, and embraced 
her children with maternal tenderness. 

The procession was now reformed, and the Queen 
returned to her palace home cheered by the plaudits 
of ten thousand voices. The night was made as 
brilliant as the day by bonfires and fireworks, reaching 
from John O 'Groat's to Land's End, and far out on 
the billowy main. 

On the 22nd, 30,000 school children met in Hyde 
Park and were regaled with pie and cake and fruit, and 
each child received a Jubilee mug. In the cool of the 
evening the Queen and the Prince of Wales drove 
out and surveyed the interesting service, and from 
the hands of Her Majesty, Florence Dunn received 
her mug as a reward of unbroken attendance for 
six years. 

This same day Her Majesty received the officers of 
the Women's Jubilee Offering Fund. 

No less than 3,000,000 women of England, Ireland, 
Scotland and Wales united in this gift of $375,000, 
ranging all the way from a cent to a dollar. The 
Marchioness of Londonderry, on behalf of the women 
of Ireland, presented the Queen with an elaborate 
Irish bog-oak cabinet. 

Immediately after the Jubilee celebration Her 
Majesty addressed the following letter to the Home 
Secretary: 

"Windsor Castle, June 24th, 1887. 

'T am anxious to express to my people my warm 



326 THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE. 

thanks for the kind, and more than kind, reception 
I met with on going to^ and returning from, West- 
minister Abbey, with all my children and grand- 
children. 

"The enthusiastic reception I met with then, as well 
as on these eventful days, in London as well as in 
Windsor, on the occasion of my Jubilee, has touched 
me most deeply. It has shown that the labors and 
anxiety of fifty long years, twenty-two of which I 
spent in unclouded happiness shared and cheered by 
my beloved husband, while an equal number were full 
of sorrows and trials, borne v/ithout his sheltering 
arm and wise help, have been appreciated by my 
people. 

"This feeling and the sense of duty towards my 
dear country and subjects, who are so inseparably 
bound up with my life, will encourage me in my task, 
often a very difficult and arduous one, during the 
remainder of my life. 

"The wonderful order preserved on this occasion 
and the good behavior of the enormous multitudes 
assemWed merits my highest admiration. 

"That God may protect and abundantly bless my 
country is my fervent prayer. 

"victoria r. and I," 

The festivities in connection with the Jubilee con- 
tinued well into July. 

On the 2nd of July the Queen i;evlewed 24,000 
volunteers at Buckingham Palace. 

On the 4th, Her Majesty laid the foundation stone 
of the Imperial Institute at South Kensington. This 
was a most interesting occasion. The Prince of Wales 
was President of the Institute. After the laying of the 



THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE. 827 

first stone, a block of granite three tons in weight, the 
Prince read an address to Her Majesty, to which she 
graciously responded. 

The Queen rode down to the Camp at Aldershot 
on the evening of July 8th and slept in camp. The 
next day she reviewed 6o,ooo troops. The review 
lasted nearly three hours. 

On the 23rd of the month there was a grand Naval 
review at Spithead. 

How the Indian Princes felt toward their Queen 
and Empress may be judged by the fact that the 
Nizam of Plyderabad made the Queen an offer of 
twenty lacs of rupees ($1,000,000) annually, for three 
years, for the frontier defenses of North-Western 
India. 

The summer of 1887 will be memorable through all 
coming years as the year of the Jubilee of the Queen. 



CHAPTER XXV. 



THE YEARS THAT WENT BETWEEN. 

In the spring of 1888 Her Majesty traveled on the 
Continent of Europe, making a prolonged stay at 
Florence, during which she was visited by King 
Humbert and Queen Marghtente of Italy. In this 
year the Emperor William I. of Germany died, and 
was succeeded by the Crown Prince Frederick 
William, and the Princess Royal, the eldest daughter 
of the Queen became the Empress of Germany. But 
the shadows of death were once more gathering about 
the throne. The health of her son-in-law caused the 
Queen great distress, and after a brief stay at Mus- 
bruck, where the Emperor of Austria paid a courteous 
visit to Her Majesty, she hastened on to Berlin, and 
thence to Charlottenburg, the residence of the royal 
invalid. It was an unspeakable comfort to the 
troubled Empress to have her royal mother in these 
days of darkness and sorrow. 

On the 15th of June, after a brief reign of ninety- 
nine days, at II :i 5 a. m., the Emperor passed away at 
Potsdam, in the fifty-seventh year of his age, and was 
succeeded by his son, the present Emperor of 
Germany. 

The immediate cause of the death of the Emperor 
was cancer of the tongue, accompanied with bronchial 
troubles. The Queen's visit served a double purpose. 
It was a great consolation to the sorrowing Empress. 
There was some friction at Court caused by the 

828 



THE YEARS THAT WENT BETWEEN. 329 

Empress Frederick favoring the marriage of her 
daughter Victoria with Prince Alexander of Batten- 
berg. The Queen acted as a peacemaker, and suc- 
ceeded so effectually that the stern, unbending 
Bismarck said : "Her Majesty was gifted with a states- 
man-like wisdom of the highest order." 

The funeral of the late Emperor was conducted very 
quietly, in the Friedens Kirche at Potsdam. On the 
same evening in both Houses of the English Parlia- 
ment addresses of condolence to the Queen and 
widowed Empress of Germiany were moved and 
carried with great feeling. 

In the House of Lords, speaking of the late 
Emperor, Lord Salisbury said: 

"He has left an example which may be of most 
precious value, not only to sovereigns and those who 
may follow him, but to all sorts and conditions of 
men; and it is with a feeling that we are performing 
no act of mere formality in rendering homage to one 
of the highest and noblest natures which ever adorned 
a throne that I move the addresses which I have now 
the honor of laying on the table." 

It had been intended to have made some celebration 
of the fiftieth anniversary of the Queen's Coronation 
on the 28th of June, but instead of this the Court went 
into mourning for the Emperor Frederick, and all 
festivities were abandoned. 

About this period several statues of the Queen were 
unveiled. One in the courtyard of the University of 
London; another on the Thames Embankment. The 
Prince of Wales performed the ceremony in both 
instances. Another erected over the gateway of the 
new Queen's schools at Eton was unveiled by the 



330 THE YEARS THAT WENT BETWEEN. 

Empress Frederick in the presence of Her Majesty. 
Still another, the handiwork of the gifted Princess 
Louise, Marchioness of Lome, was unveiled by the 
Prince of Wales in Kensington Gardens. 

The Queen visited Biarritz in the spring of 1889; 
from thence she journeyed to St. Sebastian, where 
she met the Queen Regent of Spain. The interview 
was delightful to Her Majesty and to the Queen 
Regent. 

The Shah of Persia visited England for the second 
time and remained in London for a month. 

On the 27th of July, Princess Louise, the eldest 
daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales, was 
married at Buckingham Palace to the Earl of Fife, 
who was created Duke by the Sovereign on the same 
day, the good sense of the Queen having previously 
led her, in the instance of her own daughter, to 
renounce the prejudices of the Georges; and to accept 
a husband of suitable rank from her own people for a 
Princess of the royal family. 

In the year 1892 there came great sorrow to Sand- 
ringham. The royal family and the nation were called 
upon to mourn the untimely death of the Duke of 
Clarence and Avondale, the second heir to the throne. 
The pathetic part of this sad story is that the death of 
the Prince, which occurred on the 14th of January, 
was only within a few weeks of the date fixed for his 
marriage with his cousin, the Princess May. Further 
reference to this sad event will be found later on. 

Her Majesty addressed the following letter on the 
death of her "Beloved Grandson" to her ever sympa- 
thetic people: 



THE YEARS THAT WENT BETWEEN. 331 

"Osborne, January i6, 1892. 

"I must once again give expression to my deep 
sense of the loyalty and affectionate sympathy evinced 
by my subjects in every part of my Empire, on an 
occasion more sad and tragical than any but one 
which has befallen me and mine, as well as the nation. 
The overwhelming misfortune of my dearly loved 
grandson having been thus suddenly cut off in the 
flower of his age, full of promise for the future, 
amiable and gentle and endearing himself to all, ren- 
ders it hard for his sorely stricken parents, his dear 
young bride, and his fond grandmother, to bow in 
submission to the inscrutable decrees of Providence. 

"The sympathy of Millions, which has been so 
touchingly and visibly expressed^ is deeply gratifying 
at such a time ; and I wish, both in my own name and 
that of my children, to express, from my heart, my 
warm gratitude to All 

"These testimonies of sympathy with us, and appre- 
ciation of my dear grandson — ^whom I loved as a son, 
and whose devotion to me was as great as that of a 
son — will be a help and consolation to me and mine 
in our afHiction. 

"My bereavements during the last thirty years of 
my reign have indeed been heavy. 

"Though the labors, anxieties and responsibilities 
inseparable from my position have been great, yet it 
is my earnest prayer that God may continue to give 
me health and strength to work for the good and 
happiness of my dear Country and Empire while life 

lasts. VICTORIA R. AND I." 

On the loth of May the Queen went in State from 
Buckingham Palace to Kensington to open the 



332 THE YEARS THAT WENT BETWEEN. 

Imperial Institute. The spectacle was most imposing. 
The hall was elaborately decorated. There were 2,000 
spectators present, among whom were Indian Princes, 
State Dignitaries, the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs, and a 
host of notable personages. The Prince of Wales 
read an address to the Queen, and then in her name 
proclaimed the building opened and inaugurated. The 
Archbishop of Canterbury pronounced the benedic- 
tion, after which Madame Albani sang the National 
Anthem. 

Early in June, 1893, the marriage of the Duke of 
York and the Princess May awoke the nation's deep 
enthusiasm. Gounod's "Romeo and Juliet" was pre- 
sented at the Royal Italian Opera, Covent Garden, in 
honor of the invited wedding guests. The marriage 
ceremony took place on the 6th in the Chapel Royal 
of St. James' Palace. London was en fete^ the crowds 
reminding one of the Queen's Jubilee. 

In the following year occurred, on the 24th of May, 
1894, Her Majesty's seventy-fifth birthday, which was 
celebrated with great rejoicing. The Duke of Con- 
naught conducted a Review of 11,000 troops at Alder- 
shot. 

Two interesting ceremonies were performed in May 
and June by the Prince of Wales, acting on behalf of 
the Queen. The first was the opening of the new 
buildings of the Royal College of Music at Kensing- 
ton, erected at an expense of $225,000. The second 
was the formal opening of the new Tower Bridge, 
which had been begun in 1886. The total length of 
the bridge and abutments was 940 feet, and the open- 
ing span about 200 feet. The total cost of erection 
was estimated at $5,250,000. 



THE YEARS THAT WENT BETWEEN. 333 

The mournful anniversaries of the deaths of the 
Prince Albert and the Princess Alice were held in 
sacred remembrance by the usual memorial service 
on the 14th of December. The Queen, the Prince and 
Princess of Wales, and other members of the royal 
family were present. There was joy as well as sor- 
row on this memorable day, from the fact that on 
this day was born a second son to Prince George. 
The happy event transpired early in the morning at 
Sandringham. This gave England another heir to the 
Crown, and added to the domestic joy of the Prince 
and Princess of Wales. 

In March of the following year, 1895, Her Majesty 
left England for Nice, whither she was accompanied 
by the Princess Henry of Battenberg. During her 
residence in this centre of enchanting scenery Her 
Majesty occupied part of the Grand Hotel de Cimiez. 
Many of the Civic and Ecclesiastical dignitaries of the 
place were honored with invitations to occupy a place 
at the royal table. During this sojourn the famous 
"Battle of Flowers" took place. The Queen witnessed 
this unique conflict from her carriage at the opening 
of the Rue du Congres. The Queen's carriage was 
made beautiful by showers of floral bouquets, which 
Her Majesty duly acknowledged with courtly bows 
and gracious smiles. Then from the Fetes Com- 
mittee came a banner of pink silk, and from the 
Mayor, Comte de Malanssena, a most charming 
basket of violets, to all of which the Gracious Sov- 
ereign responded with grateful thanks. 

During the visit the clergy of the Anglican Church 
arranged a special service in memory of the Duke of 
Albany, which was attended by the Queen and a 



334 THE YEARS, THAT WENT BETWEEN. 

select company of those who had known and honored 
the late Duke. 

On the 20th of January, 1896, Prince Henry of 
Battenberg died on board Her Majesty's ship Blonde. 
The deceased Prince was interred at Whippingham 
Church, Isle of Wight. He had been Captain and 
Governor of the Isle of Wight, that honor the Queen 
conferred upon his widow. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 

We come now to the year 1897, the year of the 
Diamond Jubilee, which wholly eclipsed in splendor 
the glories of the Jubilee of 1887. 

The Queen went in state from Buckingham Palace 
to St. Paul's Cathedral, where a brief service of praise 
was conducted. The procession was in all respects 
one of the most magnificent the world has ever seen. 
All through the summer night of June 21st people 
gathered in thousands, lining the streets all along the 
route of the procession. There was a common feeling 
that this would be the last great public appearance 
of the Queen, and the loyal subjects were intent on 
witnessing its pomp and splendor, that they might tell 
the story to their children, and their children's 
children. 

The last stroke of twelve had not died away in 
the midnight air when from a hundred metropolitan 
steeples a tumultuous peal of bells announced 
diamond jubilee day. The vast crowd that filled the 
miles of streets and squares answered with ringing 
cheers and here and there the singing of ''Cjod Save 
the Queen." 

The crowds that peopled the streets and squares 
all night in the hope of a good view of the procession 
were amazing in their sublime patience. 
Waiting for twelve, fourteen and sixteen hours, as 
many of these people did, jammed together, 

335 



336 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 

was a feat of endurance that could only be sustained 
by some overmastering desire. Quite half of these 
jubilee waiters were women, many of them with the 
pale, careworn look of the London worker, yet all 
enduring the back-breaking tediousness with the 
utmost good nature. Some had camp-stools, some 
sat on projections of buildings, on curbstones or 
leaned in doorways and the angles made by stands. 
Refreshments were in order everywhere, and the 
police had little trouble, cheery good humor being 
the note of the night. During the long hours snatches 
of song and occasional bursts of cheering showed 
that the people were determined to enjoy the festival 
of patriotism and loyalty to the utmost. 

A clear starlit sky and cool air kept the spirits of 
the crowd at the topmost point throughout the vigil. 
With dawn the hope of queen's weather merged in 
certainty and the world here prepared itself in fullest 
confidence for a day of pleasure. 

The honor of starting the procession was given to 
our friends from the Colonies, who had formed up 
on the Embankment, and who were to march at the 
head of the royal pageant, via the Mall, along the 
line of route to St. Paul's Cathedral. After the ad- 
vance party of the Royal Horse Guards, in their 
blue uniforms with scarlet facings, and accompanied 
by their band, there rode Field Marshal Lord Rob- 
erts, Colonel-in-Chief of the Colonial troops, who was 
quickly recognized, and came in for a cordial cheer. 
With him rode Colonel Herbert, Commandant of 
Colonial troops. Then the spectators saw something 
of the men whom our Colonies and dependencies have 
sent over. The Hussars and Dragoons fi:om Canada 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 837 

were a magnificent body of men, calculated to thrill 
all onlookers with pride. Immediately after them 
rode the Premier of Canada, the Hon. Wilfrid 
Laurier, G. C. M. G., and Mrs. Laurier, seated in a 
carriage, which was escorted by the Canadian North- 
West Mounted Police. 

Then came detachments of New South Wales 
mounted troops, a truly picturesque contribution to 
the pageant. The Rifles, numbering about 40, wore 
slouch hats with feathers and bandolier over the 
shoulder; whilst the broad-brimmed hats, turned up 
at the side, of the Lancer Volunteers, with their khaki- 
colored tunics, added to the picturesqueness of the 
Colonial costumes. Pretty well all our processions 
were represented in this section of the procession, 
including Victoria, New Zealand, Queensland, Cape 
of Good Hope, South Australia, Newfoundland, Tas- 
mania. Natal, Western Australia, the Crown Colonies, 
Rhodesia, British North America, Malta, the British 
Asiatic Colonies, and the British African Colonies. 
As a spectacle conveying an idea of the military glory 
of our Great Empire, and as a demonstration of Brit- 
ain's great ramifications abroad, this long line of 
troops from our distant possessions was indeed some- 
thing quite unique. Never before has there been 
gathered together a force emblematical of such far- 
reaching power and influence. The various Premiers 
of the Colonies which had sent troops, whose names 
have by this time become familiar throughout the 
country, followed in carriages, each Prime Minister — 
sometimes accompanied by ladies — being at the rear 
of the military representatives of his own colony. 

The colonists met with a most cordial reception 
22 



338 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 

from the onlookers, most of whom doubtless had 
never looked upon such uniforms before. The twisted 
puggarees around the broad-brimmed hats of the 
Victoria Mounted Rifles, together with their maroon 
facings, contrasted with the buiif-colored tunics which 
distinguished the Queensland Mounted Infantry. The 
Cape Mounted Rifles wore spiked helmets, as also 
did the South Australian Cavalry, whilst more 
slouch-hatted warriors were seen in the Natal Cav- 
alry and the Trinidad Mounted Rifles. Then the Zap- 
tiehs from Cyprus, with dark blue uniforms, red fez, 
and sashes came by, a noticeable attribute being the 
jingling accoutrement of these dusky soldiers. The 
Malta Militia and Malta Artillery attracted attention 
owing to their similarity in appearance to our own 
infantry of the line. The active little Dyaks, the sturdy 
brown-faced men in scarlet and white composing the 
Jamaica Artilleryo The men from Sierra Leone, in 
blue and yellow, with red fez head-dresses, all came 
in for their share of notice, and for the admiration 
which they deserved, not only on account of their 
smart and soldierly appearance, but also because of the 
admirable precision of their movements. No less 
worthy of commendation were the Houssas, and the 
British Guiana and the Ceylon troops, notwithstanding 
the comparative sombreness of their garb, which was 
relieved immediately afterwards by the brighter cos- 
tumes of the Ceylon Light Infantry and Artillery 
Volunteers, and by the gay uniforms of the detach- 
ments from the Far East, the island of Hong Kong, 
and the Straits Settlements in the Malay Peninsula. 
Every one was pleased to see both Ireland and 
Scotland represented in the procession, the pipers 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 339 

being hailed with delight, whilst the representatives 
of the London Irish (i6th Middlesex) Rifle Volun- 
teers came in for a due share of recognition. 

Lovers of music were next delighted with martial 
strains from three of our finest cavalry bands, that 
of the 1st Life Guards, all a-glitter with gold embroid- 
ery, leading, and being closely followed by the bands 
of the I St and 2nd Dragoon Guards. Flashing and 
sparkling with gold and burnished steel came next a 
pageant of our troops in a line of brilliant color, the 
"D" battery of the Royal Horse Artillery heading 
the column, followed by other batteries and bands 
and squadrons, the Hussars, Dragoons and Lancers 
all being represented. The "P" battery of the Royal 
Horse Artillery, coming on with a gallop, brought 
up the rear of this portion of the procession, and then 
there followed as a change from the rumbling of 
the wheels of heavy artillery, the aides-de-camp of the 
Commander-in-Chief, amongst them being Colonel 
the Earl of Erroll and Major the Hon. W, Langton 
Coke. To these officers succeeded more brilliant mili- 
tary, naval and marine uniforms worn by the aides-de- 
camp to the Queen, who included Admiral Sir Alger- 
non Lyons and Captain Lord Charles Beresford on 
behalf of the navy, and on the military side Colonel 
the Earl of Derby, Colonel Earl Wemyss, Colonel 
Lord Claud Hamilton, Colonel the Earl of Howe, 
Colonel the Earl of Cork, Colonel Lord Suffield, 
Colonel Lord Belper, and other distinguished titled 
officers. Next rode the Lord-Lieutenant of London 
(the Duke of Westminster), who was succeeded by 
the Headquarters' Staff and Field Marshals Sir D. 
Stewart and Sir F. Haines, glowing with scarlet and 



340 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 

gold and their breasts covered with medals and mili- 
tary orders. A deputation of officers from the Indian 
Imperial Service Corps, together with more Life 
Guards and a Colonial escort, followed, the Colonials 
thus being represented in the royal procession, after 
which there came a long string of carriages drawn 
by magnificently caparisoned horses. 

In the first half dozen or so of these carriages rode 
the ambassadors of foreign Powers, all in their bril- 
liant uniforms and insignia, a striking contrast being 
presented by the gorgeous robes of his Excellency 
Chang Ying Huon, the Chinese ambassador, with the 
matter-of-fact evening dress of the Hon. Whitelaw 
Reid, the representative of the United States. The 
ambassadors were followed by a number of royalties 
whose names have already been published, and most 
of whom rode in four-horse carriages. They included 
the Duchess of York, who was in white and carried 
a blue parasol, the Duchess of Albany, who frequently 
bowed and smiled, the Duchess of Connaught, who 
was also very gracious in response to the plaudits of 
the people, and Princess Beatrice, who had discarded 
the deep mourning which she wore at St. George's 
Chapel, Windsor, on Sunday last, and now appeared 
in bright and pleasant colors. Next came the suites, 
equerries and gentlemen in attendance, riding in 
threes, and making a brave show both in respect to 
numbers, the importance of their personnel and the 
brilliancy of their uniforms. Foreign and naval mili- 
tary attaches followed, succeeded by the Envoys, and 
then there was a pause. A loud cheer and a waving 
of handkerchiefs announced the coming of the Em- 
press Frederick and other well-known royalties. Her 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 341 

Majesty drove in a carriage to which were harnessed 
four black horses, and she was accompanied by the 
Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the Princess Louise 
and the Princess of Naples, the carriage being 
attended by equerries. 

One of the most striking and unique features of the 
procession then came under the observation of the 
spectators. It was a body of some fifty royal princes 
and representatives riding in threes. 

St. George's Circus was made the center of a grand 
military display. First of all came the police, aid 
then troops of the 2nd Life Gtiards and Lancers to 
assist them in clearing the space and the roadway. 
The Guards brought with them their splendid band, 
then followed thirty men of the Royal Navy and four 
hundred men of the Royal Marine Artillery, with 
the Naval Band. The police stood in front of the 
crowd, the cavalry in front of them, and in front of 
the cavalry the sailors, forming a barrier which no 
crowd of civilians could penetrate. At one time there 
was an ugly rush from the dense crowd in the Lon- 
don road, but the cavalry kept the people back. Some 
of them got a severe crushing, and a number of 
women and some men were assisted out of the crov> d 
in a fainting condition to the ambulance vans in 
ihe adjoining thoroughfares. The bands played for 
the amusement of the spectators, and though :he 
period of waiting was long, the time passed merrily 
enough. 

Soon after twelve o'clock, distant cheers wafted 
down the Borough road gave the signal to the occu- 
pants of the Circus that the head of the procession 
was advancing. A few moments more, and the iirst 



342 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 

part of Her Majesty's gorgeous retinue came in view. 
The splendid uniforms and glittering accoutrements 
of the military evoked exclamations of admiration 
from the spectators, who watched the progress of 
each contingent of the royal pageant with eager inter- 
est. When the strains of the national anthem were 
heard, and marked the approach of Her Majesty. The 
band of the Life Guards took up the theme, and 
myriads of voices in the Circus joined in the chorus. 
As the Queen's carriage passed, all heads were uncov- 
ered, thousands of eager faces were directed towards 
her, and from the masses afoot and the better dressed 
occupants of the stands and buildings there arose 
deafening cheers like the "sound of many waters," 
and on all hands were waving hats and handkerchiefs. 
Her Majesty, evidently impressed by this enthusiasm, 
smiled and bowed her acknowledgments. Onward 
the cortege continued its triumphant progress until 
St. Thomas' Hospital was reached. Here Her 
Majesty was reminded by a large inscription of the 
fact that she had performed the ceremony of opening 
the hospital twenty-seven years ago, and also that 
it is here the first training home for nurses was estab- 
lished by Florence Nightingale. A hundred of the 
nurses now at the institution had come out in their 
blue dresses and white caps to add their cheers to 
those of the multitude, which Her Majesty, with her 
usual grace, was not slow to acknowledge. And so, 
with the shouts of her enthusiastic subjects on the 
south of the Thames still ringing in her ears, Her 
Majesty passed on over Westminster Bridge. 

Cheer after cheer, deep-throated, the united voices 
of the millions, the homage of the assembled world 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 343 

rose and rolled along the thoroughfares. The eight 
Hanoverian cream horses, all in red and bine, all 
ablaze with the royal arms, came in sight, drawing 
a carriage of the style prevalent thirty years ago — a 
carriage of claret color, lined with vermilion, while 
the postilions, magnificently arrayed, for the first time 
since the Prince Consort's death rode without bands 
of mourning on their arm.s. 

Beside Her Majesty was the Princess of Wales, 
opposite sat Princess Christian ; England's prince and 
heir rode by his mother's side and the Dukes of Cam- 
bridge and of Connaught came close behind. 

Prince and princess, dukes and earls — little the 
attention for them, royal as they were. There sat 
England's Queen — old, bowed with the weight of 
years, but a monarch in every line — ruler, empress, 
sovereign, supreme of all who gazed upon her — the 
focal point of every eye, the object of each loyal 
cheer — thus Victoria, England's matchless Queen, 
rode slowly through the ranks of those who loved 
her ! 

The great bells of St. Paul's broke out in happy 
chorus as the Queen's carriage started from Temple 
Bar and only ceased as Her Majesty's carriage 
stopped in front of the steps of the City Cathedral. 

As the Queen's procession arrived the carriages 
containing the envoys and the princesses drew up 
en echalon on the ordinary roadway on the right so 
as to face the Cathedral. The escort of thirty princes 
turned to the left on reaching the churchyard and 
then to the right across the front of the edifice, draw- 
ing up in open order between the statue to Queen 
Anne and the Cathedral steps. 



- i THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 

Her Majesty's carriage then came between, halting 
opposite the platform on which awaiting her were the 
Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Bishop of Lon- 
don, the Bishops of Marlborough and Stepney, the 
Very Rev. Dean Gregory and the clergy of St. Paul's. 
In the surrounding dignitaries were leading repre- 
sentatives of all the faiths of England. 

With the stopping of the Queen's carriage the pic- 
ture was complete, and the swelHng hymn that had 
risen on the summer air from five choristers of Her 
Majesty's Chapel Royal, Westminster Abbey and St. 
Paul's, ceased its grand harmonies in one long-drawn 
soft "Amen." The service was about to begin. 

Nowhere else on the route already traveled were 
the slopes of faces carried to so great a height. All 
around, like some vast amphitheater, walls of people 
stretched upward as if to climb the sky. The ecclesi- 
astics, who had issued from the great west door as the 
Queen approached, standing beside the improvised 
altar, now began the simple service. 

Her Majesty bowed to the Bishops and clergy and 
to the people, who vociferously acclaimed her. The 
Bishop of London approached, and offered Her 
Majesty a copy of the service, but she left it in the 
hands of the Princess of Wales, and as the great choir 
lifted their voices in the first lines of the Te Deum 
she bowed her head as if in silent prayer and thanks- 
giving. The words were, of course, familiar to all, 
but the service was new and special to the occasion. 
Dr. Martin, the organist of the Cathedral, had clothed 
this Hymn of Praise with music jubilant in strain but 
full of the dignity which characterizes the Anglican 
service. Striking but harmonious modulations 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 345 

marked every change in key and mode, and it was 
rendered in faultless time, tune, and expression by 
both choir and instrumental band, the ensemble being 
truly magnificent. The Dean and Canons then said 
"Oh, Lord, save the Queen," the choir responding 
"And mercifully hear us when we call upon Thee." 
The Lord's prayer was now intoned, by not only the 
choir, but all the clergy and nearly all the spectators 
within hearing. Then the Bishop of London, with a 
voice of penetrating clearness and in a stillness per- 
fectly unbroken, except for the champing of horses, 
offered up the following special prayer : — 

O Lord, our Heavenly Father, we give Thee 
hearty thanks for the many blessings Thou hast 
bestowed upon us during the sixty years of the happy 
reign of our Gracious Queen Victoria. We thank 
Thee for progress made in knowledge of Thy 
marvelous works, for increase of comfort given to 
human life, for kindlier feeling between rich and 
poor, for wonderful preaching of the Gospel to many 
nations; and we pray Thee that these and all other 
Thy gifts may long be continued to us and to our 
Queen, to the glory of Thy Holy Name, through 
Jesus Christ Our Lord, — Amen. 

The Archbishop of Canterbury now pronounced the 
Benediction in those richly resonant tones, and with 
that reverence and dignity which characterize all his 
church ministrations. The service was closed with 
the singing of a portion of the "Old Hundredth 
Psalm" to the well-known tune to which it has been 
ever wedded. In this the surrounding multitude par- 
ticipated, with a warmth of feeling that has never been 
surpassed. The first verse was accompanied by brass 



346 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 

instruments, while throughout the kettle drums kept 
up a roll that added considerably to the effect. The 
second verse was marked by the entrance of side 
drums and kettle drums in beat, and followed by the 
entire orchestra, which brought out the full magnifi- 
cence of the Doxology. 

The Queen gave her full attention to the service. 
Now and again she raised her glasses to the clergy 
and choir, and scanned them with great interest. No 
one seemed more impressed than she with the touch- 
ing ceremony. Archbishop Temple, raising his hand 
to secure attention, called out in a clear and ringing 
voice, "Three cheers for the Queen." No sooner was 
the invitation heard than the response came from the 
vast multitude, and there was a scene of wild enthusi- 
asm. Hats and handkerchiefs were waved from road- 
way and housetop, and the people gave unbridled vent 
to their feeliftgs. The band striking in with "God Save 
the Queen" gave regulated harmony to the universal 
emotion. Every voice was raised to join in the an- 
them, and only when the hymn was concluded did 
the people become subdued to renewed attention. 

The Queen then beckoned to her side the Bishop 
of London and the Archbishop of Canterbury, to 
whom she expressed her gratification with the solemn 
and touching manner in which the service had been 
conducted. Next the Prince of Wales, the Duke of 
Cambridge, and the Duke of Connaught, who had 
sat motionless on their horses opposite the Royal 
carriage, approached, and a few words of felicitation 
were exchanged, all apparently being well pleased 
with the enthusiastic spontaneity of Her Majesty's sub- 
jects, to whom the Queen turned with interest, gra- 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 347 

ciously smiling her acknowledgments. Thus ended 
the grandest and most impressive scene ever wit- 
nessed in her capital. 

When the night came, from hilltop and mountain 
height and from Cathedral towers, bonfires blazed 
through all the land, calling to mind the stormy times 
of Great Elizabeth when through all the land the 
fiery message sped" of the Spanish Armadathreaten- 
ing danger and death. But the fiery message of 
this June night was a message of loyalty and love 

and peace. 

The provinces were as enthusiastic as the metropo- 

lis 

At Sunderland, 1,400 of the poor were regaled with 
tea, and $35,000 contributed to the Sunderland In- 
firmaries. , .- 
At Darlington an ox was roasted and 12,000 cnu- 
dren were entertained. The bells, rang "merry peals 
all day long, and at night the town was illuminated. 
At Harrogate, a grand procession was formed, a 
fair young May Queen was crowned and young and 
old were feasted to their heart's content. 

At Blackpool a bust of the Queen, which the school- 
boys had subscribed for, was unveiled. 

At Manchester 100,000 children were entertamed 
at breakfast, and medals of the occasion were pre- 
sented. 

the ringers "rang with a will," and at day-dawn, on 
At the quaint old Church of Calvary in Yorkshire, 
the old church tower, the church choir met and sang 
the National Anthem. 

At Leicester, 30,000 people attended an open air 
service in the old Market Place, and $50,000 were con- 



348 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 

tributed for the Infirmary as a memorial of the 
Queen's glorious reign. 

THE laureate's TRIBUTE. 

The poem in honor of the occasion which Mr. 
Alfred Austin, Poet Laureate, had the honor of pre- 
senting to Her Majesty at Windsor Castle, and which 
was subsequently published in the Times and Stand- 
ard. The poem has not the ring of Tennyson's grand 
rhymes. We quote but a few stanzas, which at least 
breathe the air of fervent loyalty : — 

They placed a Crown upon her fair young brow, 
They put a Sceptre in her girlish hand, 

Saying, "Behold, you are Sovereign Lady now 
Of this great land!" 

Silent she gazed, as one who doth not know 
The meaning of a message. When she broke 

The hush of awe around her, 'twas as though 
Her soul that spoke: 

"With this dread summons, since 'tis Heaven's decree, 
I would not falter even if I could; 
But, being a woman only, I can be 
Not great, but good. 

"I cannot don the breastplate and the helm. 
To my weak waist; the sword I cannot gird; 
Nor in the discords that distract a realm, 
Be seen or heard. 
"But in my People's v/isdom will I share. 
And in their valor play a helpful part, 
Lending them still, in all they do or dare, 
My woman's heart. 
"And haply it may be that, by God's grace 
And unarmed Love's invulnerable might, 
I may, though woman, lead a manly race 
To higher height; 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 349 

"If wise will curb disorderly desire. 

The Present hold the parent Past in awe, 
Religion hallowing with its sacred fire 
Freedom and law. 

"Never be broken, long as I shall reign, 
The solemn covenant 'twixt them and me 
To keep this kingdom moated, by the main, 
Loyal yet free." 

***** 

Succeeding stanzas describe the progress of the 

Queen's reign and the growth of affectionate regard 

between Sovereign and people. The poem concludes 

as follows:— 

***** 

Now, too, from where St. Lawrence winds adown, 
'Twixt forests felled and plains that feel the plough. 

And Ganges jewels the Imperial Crown 
That girds her brow; 

From Afric's Cape, where loyal watchdogs bark, 
And Britain's Sceptre ne'er shall be withdrawn, 

And that young Continent that greets the dark 
When we the dawn; 

From steel-capped promontories stern and strong, 
And lone isles mounting guard upon the main, 

Hither her subjects wend to hail her long 
Resplendent reign. 

And ever when mid-June's musk roses blow. 

Our race will celebrate Victoria's name, 
And even England's greatness gain a glow 

From her pure fame. 

ODE TO THE QUEEN. 

From Sir Lewis Morris's Jubilee Ode, which was 
also published in the Times, we quote the following 
vigorous line's : — 



350 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 

This is the golden link which binds in one 

All British hearts beneath the circling Sun, 

And this the Star which draws all, far and near, 

This aged life and dear! 

Ah, honored, thin-drawn life! who long has borne, 

From that far June, when with the earliest morn 

The young girl woke, with tears 

And innocent childish fears. 

To bear the burden of the Imperial Crown, 

Her young, her aged temples pressing down; 

Who, threescore years throned in the nation's heart, 

Of all its joys and sorrows bearest part. 

Sharing thy people's humbler hopes and fears 

And oft directing through a mist of tears 

Our difficult way. So fragile yet so strong! 

Thou seemest to our eyes 

Our own embodied Britain, old yet young; 

Not the rude Britain of her arrogant youth, 

But loving peace and filled with gentle ruth; 

The Britain her undying bards have sung; 

Our lives are bound with thine, our hopes with thee; 

Thy subjects all and loyal lovers, we 

Come from the North, the South, the East, the West; 

From the acclaiming lands beyond the foam; 

Seeking their ancient unforgotten home, 

Differing in race and tongue, and creed and name — 

Senators, soldiers, rulers great in fame, 

Thy proud Proconsuls come: 

Down lanes of life the slow processions stream. 

Barbaric gold and sunlit pennons gleam. 

While all the glittering palace-balconies 

Are animate with bright patrician eyes — 

And from our mighty mother, and the hum 

Of labor-teaming towns, from mine and loom 

And the blurred forges' mingled glow and gloom. 

Throngs the unnumbered, league-long crowd 

Waiting, with yearning hearts and plaudits loud. 

To see along the fluttering, flower-hung street. 

With trumpet-blare and measured, martial feet, 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 351 

Down clear perspectives of the sunlit ways, 

The jeweled pageant pass to prayer and praise 

For blessings that have been and peace and length of days! 

At the suggestion, it is understood, of the Grand 
Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the first cousins of 
Her Majesty combined to present to the Queen, as a 
souvenir of her Diamond Jubilee, an edition de luxe, 
printed on vellum, of the record of the Queen's reign 
which has been in preparation by Mr. R. R. Holmes, 
F. S. A., the librarian of Windsor Castle. Owing to 
the unavoidable delay in the completion of the volume 
it has not been found possible to carry out this propo- 
sition in its entirety, but an ornate and sumptuous 
cover, designed and executed by Mr. Edward Mar- 
coso, of Hatton Garden, has been finished and pre- 
sented to Her Majesty. On the face of this cover, in 
the center, figures the monogram, V. R. I., dehcately 
wrought in the finest diamonds on a ground of red 
enamel. Surmounting the Royal initials is a crown 
fashioned of diamonds, Burmese "pigeon blood" 
rubies, and splendid emeralds, while underneath is a 
scroll of red enamel edged with gold, and bearing the 
inscription executed in diamonds, as follows:— "1837 
— June 22—1897." Upon the obverse have been 
engraved facsimiles of the signatures of those of Her 
Majesty's relatives who are identified with the gift, 
and which appear as follows in their order of prece- 
dence: — 

Marie, Queen of Hanover. 

Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, Duke of 
Brunswick and Liineburg. 

Thyra, Duchess of Cumberland, Duchess of Bruns- 
wick and Liineburg, born Princess of Denmark. 



352 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 

Mary, Princess of Hanover. 

Frederica, Princess of Hanover. 

George, Duke of Cambridge. 

Augusta Caroline, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg- 
Strelitz, Princess of Great Britain, Ireland, and Hano- 
ver. 

Frederick, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. 

Mary Adelaide, Princess of Great Britain and Ire- 
land, Duchess of Teck. 

Francis, Duke of Teck. 

On the obverse of the jeweled lid appears the Royal 
coat-of-arms, and in the center of the shield is a min- 
iature presentment of the White Horse of Hanover. 
The inscription engraved on the obverse of the cover 
is couched in the following terms : — 

Presented with the deepest feelings of devotion and 
affection to Her Majesty Queen Victoria, Empress of 
India, on the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of 
her reign by her attached cousins. 

The gift measures I3in. by loin., and weighs close 
on 200 ounces, and no fewer than 351 diamonds, be- 
sides other precious stones mentioned, have been 
employed in its ornamentation, those of which the 
Imperial monogram is fashioned forming alone a mag- 
nificent and glittering cluster. 

The present to Her Majesty from the Princess of 
Wales, the Duke and Duchess of York, the Duchess 
of Fife and the Duke of Fife, Prince and Princess 
Charles of Denmark, and Princess Victoria of Wales, 
takes the form of a brooch, consisting of one very 
large and white diamond, encircled by a row of others 
of equal quality, and mounted to show no setting. The 
inscription on the velvet case is as follows : — 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 353 

"The Queen's Diamond Jubilee, 1837- 1897. From 
her loving child and grandchildren, Alexandra, 
George and May, Louise and Fife, Victoria, Maud 
and Charles." 

The Duke and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 
the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, Prince and 
Princess Christian, Princess Louise and the Marquess 
of Lome, Princess Henry of Battenberg, and the 
Duchess of Albany present a long chain of diamond 
links, the center formed by an Imperial crown, with 
1837 on one side and 1897 on the other in brilliants. 
The velvet case bears the following inscription : — 

"In remembrance of the Diamond Jubilee, 1837- 
1897. From Alfred and Marie, Arthur and Louise 
Margaret, Helena and Christian, Louise and Lome, 
Beatrice Helen." 

The present of the Royal Household is a large 
brooch of fine brilliants, the center being an excep- 
tionally lustrous pearl, and a chain of brilliants at- 
taches another fine drop-shaped pearl as pendant, and 
matches the Jubilee necklace presented to Her Ma- 
jesty ten years ago by "The Daughters of the 
Empire." The following address accompanies the 
present :— 

We, the members, and many past members of the 
Queen's Personal Household, venture, with our hum- 
ble duty, to tender to Your Majesty our loyal and 
heartfelt congratulations upon the completion of the 
sixtieth year of Your Majesty's reign. We humbly ask 
Your Majesty's gracious acceptance of the accompany- 
ing token of our sincere devotion, v/ith the hope that 
it may be received as an humble offering from, devoted 
servants, who esteem it the highest honor to have 

23 



354 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 

been privileged to serve in Your Majesty's Household 
during the course of a long and illustrious reign. 

A bracelet with round medallions set in brilliants 
was also presented to Her Majesty on Sunday after- 
noon last, on behalf of the Royal Household, by Mr. 
A. W. F. Lloyd, the Clerk Controler of Her Majes- 
ty's Household. The design was very choice and 
pretty. On the round medallion were represented the 
rose, shamrock, and thistle, while the lotus flower 
represented the Colonies. In an oblong medallion 
were the figures 1837-97. The center was composed 
of the Royal Crown set in stones to match, the Impe- 
rial Crown resting on the sword and sceptre of State. 
The bracelet was composed of the finest brilliants, 
with large rubies and sapphires at intervals represent- 
ing red, white, and blue, while the laurel leaves inter- 
mingled were intended to convey the idea of drawing 
the whole of the British Empire in bonds of everlast- 
ing peace towards the Crown. The beautiful jewel 
was designed by her Royal Highness Princess Henry 
of Battenberg, and manufactured by Messrs. Row- 
lands & Frazer, jewelers, by command to Her Majesty 
the Queen and the Prince of Wales. This magnificent 
bracelet was enclosed in a unique casket covered with 
pale blue velvet, on the top of which was carved the 
letters "V. R. I." in monogram, surmounted by the 
Royal Crown, while at each corner, resting 
on small, white velvet cushions, are four Impe- 
rial Crowns, the casket resting on claw and ball 
feet, also carved out of solid gold. Her Majesty was 
highly pleased with this token of affection of her 
household, so much so that she wore it at the State 
dinners on Monday night and last night. 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 355 

The Queen has been pleased to accept from the 
Incorporated Association of Her Majesty's and other 
Royal Warrant Holders, as a Jubilee gift, the com- 
memorative Diamond Jubilee picture by R. Caton 
Woodville, "For Queen and Empire," in which the 
Colonial and Home Forces are brought together in 
review before the Queen, 

One of the most graceful presents received by Her 
Majesty this week is that of the Girls' Friendly Soci- 
ety, of which she became the patron in 1880, an asso- 
ciation to which other illustrious ladies are deeply 
attached. It takes a double form, one part of the total 
sum collected from members and associates in Great 
Britain and the Colonies being devoted to the Queen 
Victoria Jubilee Institute for Nurses, and the other 
to an illuminated account of the "world's work" of the 
Girls' Friendly Society. The latter has been entirely' 
done by the girls themselves, the cover being of white 
watered silk made in Spitalfields, and the design in 
crewel work of a crown entwined with roses, sham- 
rock, and thistle worked by an invalid member. White 
sapphires and moonstones adorn the crown. The 
design of each vellum page is different, Byzantine, 
Early English, and French, two of which were con- 
tributed by a deaf and dumb member. The wrapper 
is of Irish linen embroidered by an Irish member. 

Americans, resident in London, or visiting the me- 
tropolis on the occasion, were most enthusiastic in 
their demonstrations of sympathy with the great 
movement. 

Dinners, receptions, balls and afternoon teas fol- 
lowed each other in ^uick 'su'ccessron, interspersed 



356 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 

here and there, when the weather permitted, with 
garden parties and river trips. 

WilHam Waldorf Astor set the ball rolling by enter- 
taining the masses before he received the aristocracy. 
He published a Jubilee edition de luxe of the Pall 
Mall Gazette for i penny, against 6 pennies and i 
shilling charged by the other newspapers. He did this 
without any hope of possible gain, as there is no 
chance of profit accruing from it. In addition he 
received royalty and distinguished foreign visitors in 
finished style at his town mansion. Carlton House 
Terrace had its doors open wide all week. 

The Duchess of Marlborough took only a subordi- 
nate part in the general entertainments. 

Mrs. Mackay, the greatest of American hostesses, 
remained secluded. This was a matter of deep regret 
to many of her American and EngHsh friends, but 
she was preserving her strict mourning. 

Mrs. Joseph Chamberlain, formerly Miss Endicott, 
was one of the foremost American entertainers. Her 
house, once the mansion of the late Sir Julian Gold- 
smith, had been brilliantly decorated and was the 
scene of several elaborate balls. 

Mrs. Ogden Goelet, whose dinner for the Prince of 
Wales at Wimborne House was pronounced the social 
success of the season, repeated the affair on a still 
more gorgeous scale. Long rows of German Kings 
and Russian Princes filled her spacious corridors and 
listened to prominent operatic artists. 

Mrs. Eugene Kelly rented a house in St. James' 
Square. It was her first season as a full-fledged host- 
ess in London society and she signalized it by having 
her residence adorned by perhaps the most startling 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 357 

illuminations of any private dwelling in the city. At 
night it is one blaze of colored lights in which the 
initials "V. R." are most prominent. 

The Rev. Dr. Milburn, the well-known blind Chap- 
lain of the Senate of the United States, who was on a 
visit to England, preached at the Queen's Park Con- 
gregational Church, Harrow Road, London, on Sun- 
day at both morning and evening services. 

At the morning service, alluding to the anticipated 
exercises of the coming week, the learned divine said 
we stood at the commencement of a wonderful week. 
It was a time when we might look back upon the great 
advance that had been made in the temporal and spir- 
itual condition of the people since the Queen came 
to the throne. The improvement had been marvelous, 
and what a beneficent thing it was that the country 
should have had such a woman for its Queen, a wom- 
an who had been a mother to her people, a shepherd to 
her flock, and had given her days and nights to the 
study of questions which affected the welfare of the 
realm. What a blessing from God it was that this 
mighty Empire had been swayed by such influence. 
The Colonies and the remotest ends of the earth had 
felt the blessed influence, and in his own country 
womanhood had been raised to a higher level than 
had ever been known in the world owing to the glor- 
ious influence of that benign lady who reigned over 
them. 

All nations had some voice or share in this great 
festival. The following letter from President McKin- 
ley will be interesting to our readers : — 



358 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 

"To Her Majesty, Victoria, Queen of Great Britain 

and Ireland and Empress of India : 

"Great and Good Friend : — In the name and on 
behalf of the people of the United States, I present 
their sincere felicitations upon the sixtieth anniver- 
sary of your Majesty's accession to the throne of 
Great Britain. 

"I express the sentiments of my fellow-citizens in 
wishing for your people the prolongation of a reign, 
illustrious and marked by advance in science, arts, 
and popular well-being. 

"On behalf of my countrymen, I wish particularly 
to recognize your friendship for the United States and 
your love of peace exemplified upon important occa- 
sions. 

"It is pleasing to acknowledge the debt of gratitude 
and respect due to your personal virtues. May your 
life be prolonged and peace, honor, and prosperity 
bless the people over whom you have been called to 
rule. 

"May liberty flourish throughout your Empire 
under just and equal laws and your Government con- 
tinue strong in the affections of all who live under it. 

"And I pray to God to have Your Majesty in His 
holy keeping. 

"Done at Washington, this 28th day of Mav, A. D. 
1897. 

"Your good friend, 

WILLIAM m'kINLEY. 

"By the President, 
"John Sherman, 

"Secretary of State." 
Her Majesty distributed honors right and left in 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 359 

memory of the occasion. The old towns of Leeds, 
Bradford and Kington-on-Hull were raised to the dig- 
nity of cities. The Prince of Wales was made Knight 
of the Bath, and Earldom was conferred on Lord 
Egerton of Tatton. Six Peerages were granted. 
Eleven Colonial Premiers and four members of Par- 
liament were appointed members of the Privy Coun- 
cil. Fourteen Baronetcies were created, and count- 
less promotions and distinctions were granted in all 
ranks and departments of the service of the Queen. 
At the suggestion of the Prince of Wales, contribu- 
tions amounting to $1,000,000 were given to relieve 
certain of the Hospitals of London of debt. 

The Princess of W^ales made the poor of London 
her special care, and she succeeded in providing the 
biggest dinner the world has ever seen. She pleaded 
for the poor and the response was a fund of $1,250,000. 
It is said that 500,000 of the poor dined royally on 
that happy Jubilee. These dinners were given in dif- 
ferent parts of London. The largest assemblage was 
at the People's Palace in the very heart of the East 
End. Another was at Clerkenwell. The Princess was 
present at these points. Every man, woman and child 
of the half million, got a plate of hot roast beef, pud- 
dings, oranges and lemonade. When at the People's 
Palace two poor little cripples were born to the dais, 
carrying in their feeble arms two immense bouquets 
for the Princess, that gracious lady wept and smiled, 
and between her smiles and tears, she said : 

"Poor, poor little ones ! If I could only do more for 
them." 

June the 26th was a great day of Royal functions. 



360 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE. 

The Fleet was reviewed by the Prince of Wales, 
who represented the Queen. 

At Aldershot 28,000 British and Colonial troops 
were reviewed by the Queen in person, under the com- 
mand of the Duke of Connaught. 

The Queen reviewed the Colonial Contingent at 
Windsor. Her Majesty also received the Pan-Angli- 
can Conference at Windsor. There were a hundred 
Bishops present. The Queen was congratulated of 
the happy coincidence that the sixtieth anniversary of 
her reign was also the 1,300th anniversary of the con- 
version of Great Britain to Christianity. 

From ancient universities and modern seats of 
learning, from religious denominations of every name 
and order, from great corporations, and from socie- 
ties, varied in character and countless in number, came 
deputations and addresses, all breathing the same spirit 
of devoted loyalty, all alike congratulating the Queen, 
and praying that her gracious and beneficent reign 
might be long continued. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

An amusing story is told of the days of George I. 
It is said that august monarch had his fortune told 
by a Hebrew prophetess. The dark-eyed sorceress 
quoted the words spoken by one of the ancient 
prophets of her nation to Jonathan, the son of Rechab, 
and applied them to King George: "The House of 
Guelph shall- never want a man to stand before the 
Lord forever." If this story is true, it may be re- 
garded as truly prophetic. There has been no chance 
of failure in the royal line. There were Georges 
enough and to spare. And since Victoria came to the 
throne, the old benedictions of a full quiver have 
rested upon her house. 

The Queen has had nine children. 

The Empress of Germany has six living children 
and many grandchildren. 

The Prince of Wales has four living children. 

The Princess Alice had seven. 

The late Duke of Edinburg had five children. 

Princess H[elena had four. 

Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, had three. 

The late Prince Leopold, two. 

Princess Beatrice, four. 

In the year 1892 Her Majesty's grandchildren 
numbered thirty-four, and beside these there were 
many great-grandchildren. As mother and grand- 

361 



362 THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

mother, the joys and sorrows of the Queen have been 
infinite. 

BIRTHDAYS OF THE 

SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF 

QUEEN VICTORIA. 

Princess Victoria, Dowager-Empress of Germany, 

November 21, 1840. 

Alfred Edward, Prince of Wales, 

November 9, 1841. 
Princess Alice, Hesse-Darmstadt, 

April 25, 1843. 
Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, 

August 6, 1844. 
Princess Helena, Schleswig-Holstein, 
May 25, 1846. 
Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lome, 
March 18, 1848. 
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, 
May I, 1850. 
Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, 
April 7, 1853. 
Princess Beatrice, Battenberg, 
April 14, 1857. 
The Prince of Wales was born on the 9th of Novem- 
ber, Lord Mayor's Day, 1841. There was great joy 
in the nation that a male heir was born, and there was 
boundless delight at Windsor, the Queen expressing 
the hope that her royal baby-boy would resemble his 
honored father "in every respect." 

The Prince was christened Albert Edward, in honor 
of his father, and his grandfather, the Duke of Kent. 
The ceremony was performed at St. George's Chapel, 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 363 

Windsor, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, on the 
25th of January, 1842. - 

Mr. Birch . was appointed tutor to the Prince of 
Wales, concerning which appointment the Queen 
says : — "It is an important step, and God's blessing 
be upon it; for upon the education of Princes, and 
especially those who are destined to govern, the wel- 
fare of the world in these days largely depend." 

How sincerely attached to his tutors the Prince 
became may be gathered from a letter written by a 
lady of the Court concerning "Princey," as the Court 
ladies called him. 

Lady Canning writes from Windsor Castle in June, 
1852 : "Mr. Birch (the tutor) left yesterday. It has 
been a terrible sorrow to the Prince of Wales, who has 
done no end of touching things since he heard that 
he was to lose him, three weeks ago. He is such an 
affectionate, dear little boy ; his little notes and pres- 
ents, which Mr. Birch used to find on his pillow, were 
really too moving." 

Later, the, Prince became a student at the Univer- 
sity of Cambridge. 

A Cambridge paper speaks with enthusiasm of the 
career of His Royal Highness, at that ancient seat 
of learning. The brief but impressive eulogism runs 

thus : — • 

"We declare, without fear of contradiction, that 
while the Prince of Wales was at the University he 
proved himself to be a good and amiable young man, 
a true English gentleman, and a Prince wholly free 
from everything approaching to a debasing tendency. 
No parent could wish his son to behave better, and 
now that his time of trial has come, we feel confident 



364 THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

that His Royal Highness will be found neither unwill- 
ino- nor unfit, nor unable to console and assist his be- 
reaved mother, and to fulfill the warmest hopes of the 
people." 

The Manchester Guardian, referring to the Prince's 
early manhood, bore this tribute to his worth : — 

"The character of the Prince of Wales hitherto has 
shown itself to those brought into close contact with 
him, singularly pure and honorable, and perfectly 
free from insincerity and dissimulation. He speaks 
French, German, Italian and Spanish with fluency, 
besides being a good Greek and Latin scholar. He is 
well acquainted with law and the fine arts, a good sol- 
dier, theoretically, and a good horseman ; no wall or 
brook ever stopped him when he was on horseback." 

On the Prince's twentieth birthday, His Royal 
Mother writes : — 

"This is our dear Bertie's twentieth birthday. I 
pray God assist our efforts to make him turn out 
well." 

And Mr. Greville wrote in his Dairy : "I hear the 
Queen has written a letter to the Prince of Wales 
announcing to him his emancipation from parental 
control and authority, and that it is one of the most 
admirable letters that ever was penned. She tells 
him that he may have thought the rule they adopted 
for his education a severe one, but that his welfare was 
their only object, and well knowing to what seduc- 
tions of flattery he would eventually be exposed, they 
wished to prepare and strengthen his mind against 
them ; that he was now to consider himself his own 
master, and that they should never intrude any advice 
upon him, although always ready to give it whenever 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 865 

he thought fit to seek it. It was a very long letter, 
all in that tone, and it seems to have made a profound 
impression on the Prince and to have touched his 
feelings to the quick. He brought it to Gerald Welles- 
ley in floods of tears, and the effect of it is excellent." 

The Prince of Wales has been a good deal of a 
traveler. The first journey of importance was a tour 
through Canada, where he was received with every 
possible token of loyalty and respect. Crossing the 
mystic border line, he became for a time the guest of 
the United States and v/as cordially received at Wash- 
ington by President Buchanan. 

Immediately after the death of his father, the Prince 
of Wales went to Palestine and Egypt under the guid- 
ance and in the companionship of General Bruce and 
Dr. Stanley, Dean of Westminster. The visit to Jeru- 
salem was full of interest. 

Ten days after the arrival of the Prince in the Holy 
City he met, by appointment, at the western wall of 
the temple, the Chief Rabbi and others of the heads 
of the Jewish community of Jerusalem. The Chief 
Rabbi appeared in his full robes, and with the insignia 
of his office as Hacham Bashi, which, being an ap- 
pointment by the Sultan, confers upon him great 
civil powers and authority. The Prince received the 
deputation in a most gracious manner, and. after the 
ordinary formalities, entered freely into conversation 
with the Chief Rabbi; of whom he inquired if he 
believed the massive wall by which they stood to be a 
portion of the great master-work of King Solomon. 
The Chief Rabbi's explanatory remarks in answering 
this question in the affirmative evidently impressed the 
Prince, for he raised. the covering from his head in 



366 THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

token of the sincere veneration which he felt for the 
sacredness of the spot; and who can tell what asso- 
ciations of thought crowded on him at that moment, 
for he immediately requested the Chief Rabbi to ofifer 
up a prayer for his "mother, the Queen of England !" 
The Chief Rabbi then prayed aloud in Hebrew for the 
health of Queen Victoria, and with great fervency, that 
she might long continue to reign, and with wisdom 
like unto that of Solomon. At the conclusion, all the 
deputation ejaculated "Amen, Amen." The prayer 
being interpreted to the Prince, he was greatly moved, 
and even more so when the Chief Rabbi followed up 
this prayer with an invocation to the King of kings 
that the soul of the Prince Consort might rest in 
peace in the realms of eternal bliss. 

The Prince, accompanied by the Chief Rabbi, then 
visited the synagogues, which were brilliantly Hghted 
up and decorated as on a festival, and were crowded 
to excess. Prayers were there offered up for the 
Prince, Prince Alfred, and all the Royal Family. At 
the first synagogue which he visited, the Prince asked 
to see one of the scrolls of the law, and he examined 
the sacred volume with great earnestness. The Prince 
then went with the Chief Rabbi to view the two new 
synagogues and the Rothschild Hospital, and during 
this time they held almost uninterrupted conversation 
in the Italian language. The amiability of the Prince, 
his genial and kindly manners won for him universal 
esteem. 

Besides attending and witnessing the solemn Samar- 
itan Passover, His Royal Highness visited Jacob's 
Well. But the most remarkable experience of all 
amid these sacred scenes and holy fields was the visit 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. Sm 

to the sacred shrines of Hebron. For a full and 
detailed account of this episode we refer our readers 
to Stanley's "Jewish Church," Vol. I, Appendix. We 
are only able to give the briefest extracts. There had 
been considerable difficulty. The Prince of Wales 
had been refused admission to the hallowed shrine. 
"But General Bruce adopted a course which ultimately 
proved successful. He announced to the Pasha the 
extreme displeasure of the Prince at the refusal, and 
declared his intention of leaving Jerusalem instantly 
for the Dead Sea; adding that, if the sanctuary at 
Hebron could not be entered, the Prince vv'ould decline 
to visit Hebron altogether. We started immediately 
on a three days' expedition. On the evening of the 
first day, it was found that the Pasha had followed us. 
He sent to reopen the negotiations, and offered to 
make the attempt, if the numbers were limited to the 
- Prince and two or three of the suite, promising to go 
himself to Hebron to prepare for the event. This 
proposal was guardedly but decisively accepted. And 
accordingly, on our return to Jerusalem, instead of 
going northwards immediately, the plan was laid for 
the enterprise. 

"It was early on the morning of Monday, the 7th 
of April, that we left our encampment, and moved in 
a southerly direction. The object of our journey was 
mentioned to no one. On our way we were joined 
by Dr. Rosen, the Prussian Consul at Jerusalem, well 
known to travelers in Palestine, from his profound 
knowledge of sacred geography, and, in this instance, 
doubly valuable as a companion, from the special 
attention which he had paid to the topography of 
Hebron and its neighborhood. Before our arrival at 



368 THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

Hebron, the Pasha had made every precaution to 
insure the safety of the experiment. What he feared 
was, no doubt, a random shot or stone from some indi- 
vidual fanatic, some Indian pilgrim, such as are well 
known to hang about these sacred places, and who 
might have held his life cheap in the hope of avenging 
what he thought an outrage on the sanctities of his 
religion. Accordingly, as our long cavalcade wound 
through the narrow valley by which the town of 
Hebron is approached, underneath the walls of those 
vineyards on the hill-sides, which have made the vale 
of Eschol immortal, the whole road on either side for 
more than a mile was lined with soldiers. The native 
population, which usually on the Prince's approach to 
a town streamed out to meet him, was invisible, it 
may be from compulsion, it may be from silent indig- 
nation. We at length reached the green sward in 
front of the town, crowned by the Quarantine and the 
Governor's residence. There Suraya Pasha received 
us. It had been arranged, in accordance with the 
Pasha's limitation of the numbers, that the Prince of 
Wales should be accompanied, besides the General, 
by the two members of the party who had given most 
attention to Biblical pursuits, so as to make it evident 
that the visit was not one of mere curiosity, but had 
also a distinct scientific purpose. It was, however, 
finally conceded by the Governor, that the whole of 
the suite should be included, amounting to seven per- 
sons besides the Prince. The servants remained 
behind. We started on foot, two and two, between 
two files of soldiers, by the ancient pool of Hebron, up 
the narrow streets of the modern town, still lined with 
troops. Hardly a face was visible as we passed 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 369 

through; only here and there a soHtary guard, sta- 
tioned at a vacant window, or on the flat roof of a 
projecting house, evidently to guarantee the safety 
of the party from any chance missile. It was, in fact, 
a complete military occupation of the town. At length 
we reached the southeastern corner of the massive wall 
of enclosure, the point at v/hich inquiring travelers 
from generation to generation have been checked in 
their approach to this the most ancient and the most 
authentic of all the Holy Places of the Holy Land. 
'Here,' said Dr. Rosen, 'was the farthest limit of my 
researches.' Up the steep flight of the exterior stair- 
case — gazing close at hand on the polished surface of 
the wall, amply justifying Josephus's account of the 
marble-like appearance of the huge stones which com- 
pose it, — we rapidly mounted. At the head of the 
staircase, which by its long ascent showed that the 
platform of the Mosque was on the uppermost slope 
of the hill, and, therefore, above the level, where, if 
anywhere, the sacred cave would be found, a sharp 
turn at once brought us within the precincts, and 
revealed to us for the first time the wall from the 
inside. A later wall of Mussulman times has been 
built on the top of the Jewish enclosure. The enclos- 
ure itself, as seen from the inside, rises but a few feet 
above the platform. 

"Here we were received v/ith much ceremony by 
five or six persons, corresponding to the Dean and 
Canons of the Christian Cathedral. They were the rep- 
resentatives of the Forty hereditary guardians of the 
Mosque. 

"We passed at once through an open court into the 
Mosque. With regard to the building itself, two 

24 



370 THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

points at once became apparent. First, it was clear 
that it had been originally a Byzantine Church. To 
any one acquainted with the Cathedral of S. Sophia 
at Constantinople, and with the monastic churches of 
Mount Athos, this is evident from the double narthex 
or portica, and from the four pillars of the nave. Sec- 
ondly, it was clear that it had been converted at a 
much later period into a Mosque. This is indicated 
by the pointed arches, and by the truncation of the 
apse. The transformation was said by the guardians 
of the Mosque to have been made by Sultan Kelaoun. 
The whole building occupies (to speak roughly) one- 
third of the platform. The windows are sufficiently 
high to be visible from without, above the top of the 
enclosing wall. 

"I now proceed to describe the Tombs of the Patri- 
archs, premising always that these tombs, like all those 
in Mussulman mosques, and indeed like most tombs 
in Christian churches, do not profess to be the actual 
places of sepulture, but are merely monuments or 
cenotaphs in honor of the dead who lie beneath. Each 
is enclosed with a separate chapel or shrine, closed 
with gates or railings similar to those which surround 
or enclose the special chapels or royal tombs in West- 
minster Abbey. The two first of these shrines or chap- 
els are contained in the inner portico or narthex, 
before the entrance into the actual building of the 
Mosque. In the recess on the right is the shrine of 
Abraham, in the recess on the left that of Sarah, each 
guarded by silver gates. The shrine of Sarah we were 
requested not to enter, as being that of a woman. A 
pall lay over it. The shrine of Abraham, after a 
momentary hesitation, was thrown open. The guar- 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 371 

dians groaned aloud. But their chief turned to us 
with the remark, The Princes of any other nation 
should have passed over my dead body sooner than 
enter. But to the eldest son of the Queen of Eng- 
land we are willing to accord even this privilege.' He 
stepped in before us, and offered an ejaculatory prayer 
to the dead Patriarch, 'O Friend of God, forgive this 
intrusion.' We then entered. The chamber is cased 
in marble. The so-called tomb consists of a cof^n- 
like structure, about six feet high, built up of plastered 
stone or marble, and hung with three carpets, green 
embroidered with gold. They are said to have been 
presented by Mohamed II. the conqueror of Constan- 
tinople, Selim I. the conqueror of Egypt, and the late 
Sultan Abdul Medjid. As we stood round this con- 
secrated spot, the guardian of the Mosque kept 
repeating to us, 'that it would have been opened to no 
one less than the representative of England. 

"Within the area of the church or Mosque were 
shown the tombs of Isaac and Rebekah. They are 
placed under separate chapels, in the walls of which 
are windows, and of which the gates are grated not 
with silver, but iron bars. Their situation, planted 
as they are in the body of the Mosque, may indicate 
their Christian origin. In almost all Mussulman 
sanctuaries, the tombs of distinguished persons are 
placed, not in the center of the building, but in the 
corners. To Rebekah's tomb, the same decorous rule 
of the exclusion of male visitors naturally applied as 
in the case of Sarah's. But, on requesting to see the 
tomb of Isaac, we were entreated not to enter; and 
on asking, with some surprise, why an objection 
which had been conceded for Abraham should be 



372 THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

raised in the case of his far less eminent son, were 
answered that the difference lay in the characters of 
the two Patriarchs — 'Abraham was full of loving- 
kindness ; he had withstood even the resolution of 
God against Sodom and Gomorrah ; he was goodness 
itself, and would overlook any affront. But Isaac 
was proverbially jealous, and it was exceedingly dan- 
gerous to exasperate him. When Ibrahim Pasha 
(as conqueror of Palestine) had endeavored to enter, 
he had been driven out by Isaac, and fallen back as 
if thunderstruck.' 

"The chapel, in fact, contains nothing of interest; 
but I mention the story both for the sake of this singu- 
lar sentiment which the legend expresses, and also 
because it well illustrates the peculiar feeling which 
has tended to preserve the sanctity of the place — an 
awe amounting to terror, of the great personages who 
lay beneath, and who would, it was supposed, be sensi- 
tive to any disrespect shown to their graves, and 
revenge it accordingly. 

"The shrines of Jacob and Leah were shown in 
recesses, corresponding to those of Abraham and 
Sarah — but in a separate cloister, opposite the en- 
trance of the Mosque. Against Leah's tomb, as seen 
through the iron grate, two green banners recHned, 
the origin and meaning of which were unknown. They 
are placed in the pulpit on Fridays. The gates of 
Jacob's tomb were opened without dif^culty, though 
with a deep groan from the bystanders. There was 
some good painted glass in one of the windows. The 
structure was of the same kind as that in the shrine of 
Abraham, but with carpets of a coarser texture. Else 
it calls for no special remark." 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 373 

The following is a copy of an autograph letter from 
His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, to the 
Council of the Royal Horticultural Society. We intro- 
duce this letter with the most sincere gladness, be- 
cause it reveals that filial reverence and love that the 
Prince ever manifested toward his revered parents. 
Most of the money for a memorial of the Great 
Exhibition of 1851 was subscribed under the impres- 
sion that it would comprise a statue of the founder 
of the Exhibition. The idea was abandoned out of 
deference to the wishes of the Prince, who said, 'Men 
should not have statues raised to them while they are 
living.' A statue of the Queen was consequently 
substituted. But the Prince's death changed the situ- 
ation — the attempt to do him honor, which, living, he 
declined. The desire, however, of Her Majesty and 
the Royal Family — and we may add the whole Em- 
pire — is expressed in a touching letter of the Prince 
of Wales : — 

"The Queen has commanded me to recall to your 
recollection that Her Majesty had been pleased to 
assent to a proposal to place a statue of herself upon 
a memorial of the Great Exhibition of 1851, which 
it was intended to erect in the new Horticultural Gar- 
dens. 

"The characteristic modesty and self-denial of my 
deeply-lamented father had induced him to interpose 
to prevent his own statue from filling that position 
which properly belonged to it, upon a memorial to 
that great undertaking which sprung from the thought 
of his enlightened mind, and was carried through to 
a termination of unexampled success by his unceas- 
ing superintendence. 



374 THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

"The Queen, therefore, would anxiously desire that 
instead of her statue, that of her beloved husband 
should stand upon this memorial. 

"Anxious, however humbly, to testify my respectful 
and heartfelt affection for the best of fathers, and the 
gratitude and devotion of my sorrowing heart, I have 
sought, and have with thankfulness obtained, the per- 
mission of the Queen, my mother, to offer the feeble 
tribute of the admiration and love of a bereaved son, 
by presenting the statue thus proposed to be placed 
in the gardens under your management." 

The one supreme question that occupied and inter- 
ested the minds of the English people in 1862, was 
the approaching marriage of the Prince of Wales. He 
was the eldest son of the Queen, and some day, in all 
probability, he would be King. He was exceedingly 
popular with the great masses of the people, who glor- 
ied in the young man whose destiny was so rich in 
promise. His youth, his frankness, and above all, his 
splendid geniality, won for him universal favor. The 
busy tongue of rumor had named two royal ladies, 
one of which was sure to share with the Prince the 
dignities and the duties of the State. The Princess 
Alexandrina of Prussia or the Princess Alexandra of 
Denmark. Which should it be? 

It was said that the desires of Her Majesty the 
Queen turned somewhat toward the Prussian Prin- 
cess, but the King of the Belgians, the Princess Royal 
and the Duke of Cambridge, were all in favor of 
Prince Christian's gentle daughter. The subject was 
fully discussed in the leading newspapers and jour- 
nals, and when it was hinted that the young gentle- 
man, whose interests were most deeply concerned. 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 375 

was inclined toward the Danish maiden, then the peo- 
ple took sides with the Prince of Wales, and long 
before there w^ere any official announcements of the 
betrothal, the shop-windows of London and of the 
provinces were embehished with companion portraits 
— not always in the highest style of art — of the Prince 
of Wales and the Princess Alexandra of Denmark, 
and beneath their radiant forms the legend ran :— 

OUR FUTURE KING AND QUEEN ! 

It was further said that the late Prince Consort had 
more than once confided to the Princess Royal and 
the Princess Alice the desire that, all other things 
being equal, "it would gratify him very much, if Bertie 
should find a wife among the daughters of Prince 
Christian." Diplomatists seemed not unwilling to 
have a finger in this matrimonial pie. The cry of the 
people was for a genuine love-match first of all, and 
above all ; and had the diplomats of the Court read 
all that was written and heard all that was said about 
them, they would have been greatly edified, if not 
delighted. 

On the 26th of August, the Times said there could 
no longer be any doubt in the matter, as the Dag- 
bladet had distinctly announced the early alliance of 
the Prince of Wales, with Alexandra, daughter of 
Prince Christian, who was heir-presumptive to the 
Crown of Denmark. 

The Queen had been spending a little time at Brus- 
sels, and from thence she went to Rheinhardtsbrunn, 
where, on the 17th of September, she was joined by 
Prince Christian and his three daughters. Ten days 
before, the Times had said : — "It is said that the 
Prince has met the Princess— as, indeed he might 



376 THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

have met any other lady as worthy of fixing his choice 
— but it is added that he admires and loves the Dan- 
ish Princess Alexandra more than any other person, 
and that in the tour he is about to take they will have 
the opportunity of knowing each other a little better. 
Up to the present moment no proposal has been 
made, and, consequently, no proposal has been 
accepted." 

"The forthcoming marriage of the Prince of 
Wales," said Louis Blanc, the disgruntled French 
Revolutionist correspondent of the Paris press, "is 
turning everybody's head. Nothing else would be 
thought of, were it not for the Polish Insurrection, 
which, to save the credit of English gravity, has hap- 
pened at a very opportune moment to come in for its 
share of general solicitude. For once in a way, in 
spite of its fogs, England is justified in calling herself 
'Merry England.' Mirth is the order of the day, and 
the reason is because the Prince of Wales is to be 
married !" 

And on the whole a very good and sufficient rea- 
son, too, Monsieur Blanc! The sons and daughters 
of Queen Victoria are in a very real sense the sons 
and daughters of the nation, and all that concerns 
them concerns the people. All the bells of England 
will ring a merry peal when these two are wed, because 
from John O' Groat's to Land's End, the people of 
England wish the young people well. 

One word more concerning the astonishment of this 
brilliant Frenchman, who could not understand why 
the English people should show such enthusiastic 
interest over the marriage of the Heir-apparent to the 
Throne, to this fair daughter of the House of Den- 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 377 

mark, and then we will gracefully dismiss him from 
these pages : 

"What is the meaning of all this?" asks Louis 
Blanc. "Was the great day because a young girl came 
hither from Denmark to espouse a young man? And 
who are they? * * * The Prince of Wales 
is the eldest son of the Queen of England, and is des- 
tined to succeed her, and so far well. But after 
all, up to this tim.e the uninitiated public are aware of 
no other particular merit in him than that of being the 
son of his father and mother. As for the Princess 
Alexandra, she is said to be very intelligent, and very , 
amiable, and she is pretty; but so far as the public are 
concerned, so little is known about her, that at this 
very hour there is not one Englishman in ten thousand 
who does not believe that she is a Dane, who does not 
call her the Fair Maid of Denmark, and who does 
not lovingly do homage in the person of his future 
Queen to the daughter of the ancient Sea-Kings. It 
would astonish not a few, I assure you, if they were 
told that the Princess is a native of Germany; that 
her father. Prince Christian, is a German ; that her 
mother is a German; in a word that she is a Dane 
only in the sense that she has resided in Copen- 
hagen." 

In answer to the sneers of Louis Blanc, it may be 
said in the first place, that the Prince of Wales was 
not to blame for being the son of his parents, and he 
has certainly no need to blush when he calls Prince 
Albert and Her Majesty Queen Victoria, respectively, 
father and mother; apart from their royal dignity, 
their moral worth was such, that any man or woman 
might well be proud of such a parentage. There is 



378 THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

no more sense in blaming a Prince because he is born 
a Prince, than in exalting a peasant because he was 
born a peasant. And as to the contempt that the 
French Socialist would pour upon the bride-elect of 
the Prince of Wales, on account of her German or 
Danish origin — who cares? Saxon or Norman, Ger- 
man or Dane, it is all one. She is the beloved of the 
man who has asked her to be his bride, and that is 
enough. 

But, after all, Louis Blanc didn't know everything. 
Mr. A. H. Wall, the gifted and interesting author of 
"Fifty Years of a Good Queen's Reign," in a foot- 
note deals with the matter completely and puts Mr. 
Blanc to silence and rest. 

"But the Princess is, after all that," says Mr. Wall, 
"a descendant of the ancient Danish Kings. Of the old 
Schleswig-Holstein line, there were two families, the 
Holstein-Sonderbourg-Augustenburg, and the 
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Gliicksburg. The 

former was the elder branch and the head of the latter 
branch was Duke Charles, Prince Christian's eldest 
brother. When the dynasty of the Danish Skioto 
Princes came to an end in the person of Christian III., 
a German, the Count of Oldenburg, was elected King 
of Denmark, Sweden and Norway, and from him 
descended the present reigning dynasty of Denmark. 
This King, Christian I., in 1460 succeeded to the 
Duchies of Schleswig-Holstein, and so they became 
united to the Kingdom of Denmark. From this royal 
race sprang the Princess Alexandra." 

So much for the Danish origin of the Princess of 
Wales. Why M. Blanc was angry because all Eng- 
land was so glad, it is hard to tell. But he was an- 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 379 

noyed and vexed because the English newspapers of 
the day could hardly find terms sufficiently enthusias- 
tic to express their delight. He spoke in scorn of 
"the inflated, hyperbolical, and ridiculously servile 
language of many of the English newspapers." It is 
manifest that a foreign correspondent, as well as a 
Cabinet Minister, may sometimes, as Disraeli said, 
"be intoxicated with the exuberance of his own ver- 
bosity." 

And now, while all England is busy preparing for 
the Royal Wedding, we will introduce the "Sea King's 
Daughter," a daughter, too, of Princely poverty, to 
our readers. 

The Princess Alexandra of Denmark was the 
daughter of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein- 
Sonderberg-Gliicksberg. He was a distant relative 
of the childless king of Denmark, who selected him 
as heir-presumptive to the throne ; the salary attached 
to that distinguished position did not exceed $4,500 
per year. 

Prince Christian, at the age of twenty-two, with the 
full approval of the King, he contracted a love-match 
with the pretty Princess Louisa of Hesse-Cassel, 
daughter of the Landgraf William, and niece of King 
Christian VHI. and of the Duchess of Cambridge, the 
aunt of Queen Victoria. The young couple were mar- 
ried in Copenhagen, June, 1842, and started house- 
keeping on an extremely modest income in a house 
dignified by the name of Gule Palais. Here a year 
later a son, the present Crown Prince Frederick of 
Denmark, was born, and on December ist, 1844, his 
birth was followed by that of a daughter, Alexandra, 
afterwards Princess of Wales. The four remaining 



380 THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

children were George (King of Greece); Dagmar 
(Dowager-Empress of Russia); Thyra (Duchess of 
Cumberland), and Valdemar, married to Princess 
Marie of Orleans. 

The birthplace of the Princess of Wales, though 
called the Gule Palais, is really nothing more than a 
substantial and commodious town house. It is Num- 
ber i8, Amaliegade, a street which is in the most aris- 
tocratic quarter of Copenhagen and which intersects 
the Amalieborg Square where stand the four royal 
palaces. The street in which the Gule Palais stands 
leads in a straight line to that most delightful of mar- 
ine promenades, the Langelinie, which skirts the shore 
from the harbor to the citadel, and affords an animated 
picture of the mnumerable vessels plying the Sound. 

For the first eight years of her life the Princess of 
Wales lived almost entirely in the beautiful sea-girt 
city of Copenhagen, going with her parents for a holi- 
day in the country, or to the sea in summer, after the 
manner of ordinary people. But about 1852 came a 
decided change in her father's fortunes, he being at 
that time formally chosen as successor to the reigning 
King Frederick VIL, who had ascended the throne 
upon the death of Christian VIII. a few years pre- 
viously. The Chateau of Bernstorff, beautifully situ- 
ated about eight miles from Copenhagen, was pur- 
chased by the nation and given as a summer residence 
to the Princess's father, who henceforth occupied the 
position of Prince of Denmark — although there was 
no great increase in his income, and he continued to 
live in the same simple style as before. In the years 
which followed the Princess spent the winter at Gule 
Palais and the summer at Bernstorff, where, with her 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 381 

brothers and sisters, she led the merriest and freest of 
outdoor Uves, roaming the woods, gathering Vv^ild' 
flowers, swinging on the branches of the great trees in 
the adjacent forest, cantering along the country lanes 
on her pony, and tending her pet animals. Her father 
was a great lover of horses and dogs, and Princess 
Alexandra was devoted to them as a girl, and soon 
became an expert and graceful rider. 

About a mile beyond the glorious woods and park 
which surround the Chateau of Bernstorff, lies the 
charming village of Gjentoftie, with its rows of 
thatched cottages and tiny white villas. Each Sunday 
saw the Prince and Princess Christian, with their fam- 
ily of lovely children, walking to the quaint, red-brick 
village church, with no more ceremony than the family 
of a country squire ; and to-day nothing pleases the 
King and Queen of Denmark better, w^hen staying 
at Bernstorff, which is still their favorite retreat, than 
to quietly worship in the little kirke of Gjentoftie. 
The churchyard, or ''kirkegaard," is indeed more like 
a lovely garden than a burying-place. It is of great 
length, and the central walk leads past the square 
grave-plots, edged with box borders and covered with 
flowers and shrubs, down to a field ; and beyond one 
sees the famous deer-forest, three miles in extent, 
and catches a peep of the blue waters of the Sound. 
In the center of the "kirkegaard" is an open space 
with large, shady trees and seats, and here stands a 
rustic pump, which upon a summer evening seems to 
be the gathering-place of the village folk. A pic- 
turesque sight it is to see the women, in their large, 
Quaker-shaped bonnets, covered with bright spotted 
cotton, and their striped petticoats and aprons, stand- 



382 THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

ing for a quiet gossip between the carrying of buckets 
to and from the pump. 

Into the cottages of these simple Danish peasants 
the Princess and her sisters went freely as girls, and 
there are those who still speak of the beautiful face 
and lithe, fairy-like form of "Alexandra" as she ran 
about in the unrestrained freedom of childhood. As 
she grew older she took a delight in visiting the sick 
and infirm, and was frequently to be met in the village 
on deeds of charity intent. This aptitude for making 
herself at home in the cottages of the lowly she took 
into the land of her adoption, and the Sandringham 
people, we are told, worship her sweet presence now 
as those of Gjentoftie did in the days of her girlhood. 

The Princess Alexandra and her brother, the pres- 
ent Crown Prince, who was confirmed at the same 
time, sat together in front of the chancel. The remain- 
der of the building was crowded with spectators, 
including even the gallery over the altar. The chief 
talk in Copenhagen for days afterwards was the rare 
and exquisite loveliness of the Princess Alexandra as 
she appeared in her white confirmation dress. Photo- 
graphs of her began to be exhibited in the shop win- 
dows, pictures of her were published in the illustrated 
papers, and there was much gossip regarding her mar- 
riage prospects. 

She was allowed to choose companions of her own 
age among the children of the place, and one who was 
her playmate speaks of her exuberant delight in out- 
door fun and frolic. It would appear, too, that she 
and her sisters were allowed to play in the woods 
about Bernstorff without a governess in attendance ; 
and one da;y Princess Alexandra conceived that glori- 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 383 

ous sport might be obtained by taking rides in a 
wagoner's cart which was being used to carry earth 
to a dumping place. She prevailed upon the old man 
who drove the cart to let her and her sister Dagmar 
have the delight of riding in his homely, and we may 
add dirty, vehicle on the alternate journeys when the 
cart was unloaded. 

When quite a child the Princess had been brought 
to London on a visit to her great-aunt the Duchess 
of Cambridge, and she was taken to see one of the 
Queen's parties at Buckingham Palace ; but it is 
highly improbable that she met the Prince of Wales 
at this time. When in later years the match was whis- 
pered it met with warm advocacy from the Duchess 
of Cambridge, who had always felt a warm attachment 
for her niece. Princess Christian of Denmark; and 
it is thought she gave that astute mother valuable 
assistance in bringing about the marriage upon which 
she had set her heart. To-day the Queen of Denmark 
has a warmer friendship with the Duchess of Teck 
(Princess Mary of Cambridge) than with any other 
lady of the English royal family, and the marriage 
of her grandson to Princess May gave her the great- 
est satisfaction. 

The Princess Alexandra, at the time of her mar- 
riage, knew, scarcely anything of Court Hfe and 
functions, and this makes the brilliant position which 
she at once took in English society the more surpris- 
ing, and which arose not only from her personal 
charms but from her innate sense of what was gracious 
and fitting. Her girlish naivete and simplicity were 
more charming than the most perfect acquaintance 
with Court etiquette. 



384 THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

She, with her parents occasionally visited at some 
of the minor German Courts and also at Brussels, 
where she was a great favorite with King Leopold. 
It was indeed at Laeken, King Leopold's summer 
retreat, that the real courtship of the Princess and the 
Prince of Wales took place, both being there on a 
visit. Before matters reached this happy stage the 
Prince had had his interest in the young Princess 
Alexandra of Denmark aroused to the greatest pitch 
by reports of her beauty. 

According to one of the friends of her girlhood the 
Princess' portrait came under the notice of the Prince 
of Wales in the following manner : He was one day in 
the society of some young men of his own age with 
whom he was on terms of such intimacy as to make 
diacussion of private matters of a delicate nature pos- 
sible. The talk drifted on to the charms of various 
beauties, and one of the number drew forth from his 
pocket the portrait of his fiancee, which we may sup- 
pose he intended proudly to display. It happened, 
hov/ever, that he handed to the Prince by mistake a 
photograph which had chanced to come into his pos- 
session. It was of a lovely girl, dressed in the simplest 
m.anner. 

"Who is this rustic beauty?" asked the Prince. 

"The eldest daughter of Prince Christian of Den- 
mark," was the reply. 

A few days later the Prince saw a miniature of the 
same lovely face at the house of the Duchess of Cam- 
bridge, who, as we know, was likely to be pleased with 
the impression which the beauty of her young kins- 
woman was making. The Prince now contrived to 
waive the German alliance which the Oueen was 




s 3 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 385 

contemplating for him, and sent a trusty ambassador 
to Copenhagen to ascertain whether the Princess 
Alexandra was as beautiful as her portraits repre- 
sented her to be. It was to the very modest home at 
the Gule Palais that the Prince's friend carried his 
introductions ; but all considerations of social state 
vanished when he was introduced to the object of his 
mission. She was presented to him in a simple dinner 
dress of white muslin, with a wreath of pale blush- 
roses encircling her pretty head, after the fashion of 
the time. Her hair was golden brown, and fell in 
showers of beauty about her shoulders, which was the 
fashion of that day. 

The Princess of Wales has always shown exquisite 
taste in dress. She and her sisters, in their days of 
princely poverty, are said to have been their own 
dressmakers and milliners. And she is spoken of to 
this day as the best dressed woman in England. 

For a moment, we pause to note the ceremonies 
attendant upon the Prince of V/ales taking his seat 
in the House of Lords in February, 1863, were of a 
very imposing character. At a few minutes after four 
o'clock the procession entered, preceded by the coro- 
net of His Royal Highness. The Prince wore the 
scarlet robe with ermine bars, proper to his rank as 
Duke, over the uniform of a General in the Army. 
As the escort entered the House the Peers rose en 
masse. His Royal Highness, bowing his acknowledg- 
ments, advanced to the woolsack and placed his writ 
of summons in the hands of the Lord Chancellor. 
Then, proceeding to the table, the oaths were admin- 
istered to him, and His Royal Highness signed the 
roll-call. The procession then moved towards the 
25 



386 THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

throne, bearing the well-known Prince's plume and 
motto, His Royal Highness then took his seat 
there covered. Rising immediately afterwards, he 
again advanced to the woolsack and shook hands 
cordially with the Lord Chancellor, who offered his 
congratulations, and His Royal Highness then retired 
by the peers' entrance. 

On the 7th of the month following, the Princess 
Alexandra arrived at Gravesend, on board the royal 
yacht Victoria and Albert, accompanied by her father 
■and mother, the King and Queen of Denmark. Never, 
in all the thousand years of her history, has England 
given such a welcome ! The Princess, dressed in 
white, left the royal cabin and came to the starboard 
side of the yacht. Sixty young ladies, clad in red 
and white, the color of the Danish Kings, strewed 
flowers upon the pathway of the bride that was to be. 

Then came the Prince of Wales, with a face beam- 
ing' as brightly as the happy spring morning ; and on 
the lips of his chosen bride he imprinted a fervent 
kiss that all the world might see. And then the river 
rang from shore to shore with the plaudits of gathered 
thousands. 

The pen of the gifted Tennyson has never written 
anything that more perfectly echoed the thought and 
feeling of the English people than his "Welcome to 
Alexandra." 

A WELCOME TO ALEXANDRA. 

March 7, 1863. 
Sea-kings' daughter from over the sea, Alexandra! 
Saxon and Norman and ©ane are we, 
But all of us Danes in our welcome of thee, Alexandra! 
Welcome her, thunders of fort and of fleet! 
Welcome her, thundering cheer of the street! 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 387 

Welcome her, all things youthful and sweet, 

Scatter the blossoms under her feet! 

Break, happy land, into earlier flowers! 

Make music, O bird, in the new-budded bowers! 

Blazon your mottoes of blessing and prayer 

Welcome her, welcome her, all that is ours! 

Warble, O bugle, and trumpet, blare! 

Flags, flutter out upon turrets and towers! 

Flames, on the windy headland flare! 

Utter your jubilee, steeple and spire! 

Clash, ye bells, in the merry March air! 

Flash, ye cities, in rivers of fire! 

Rush to the roof, sudden rocket, and higher 

Melt into stars for the land's desire! 

Roll and rejoice, jubilant voice. 

Roll as a ground-swell dash'd on the strand, 

Roar as the sea when he vi^elcomes the land, 

And welcome her, welcome the land's desire, 

The sea-kings' daughter as happy as fair, 

Blissful bride of a blissful heir, 

Bride of the heir of the kings of the sea — 

O joy to the people and joy to the throne, 

Come to us, love us and make us your own 

For Saxon or Dane or Norman we. 

Teuton or Celt, or whatever we be, 

We are each all Dane in our welcome of thee, Alexandra. 

The procession from London Bridge to Hyde Park 
was one unbroken line of splendor. In Hyde Park 
seventeen thousand volunteers kept guard of the royal 
cortege. From Hyde Park on to Windsor the grand 
procession swept, and as sun set on that happy day; 
in March, the gentle Princess was fast locked in the 
loving arms of Queen Victoria, from whose trustful 
and loving confidence she has never one moment been 
severed. 

Then came the marriage of the Prince of Wales 



388 THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

and the Princess Alexandra, at the Chapel, St. 
George's, Windsor, on the loth of March, 1863. 

All that could make the marriage glorious was 
there. The Queen in morning attire, wearing the 
blue riband of the Star of the Garter. Then came the 
resplendent Duleep Singh, the Prince Edward of 
Saxe Weimar, and the Prince of Leiningen, followed 
by the daughters of the House of Denmark; the Prin- 
cess Dagmar, followed by her royal mother, leading in 
either hand the Princess Thyra and Prince Waldemar. 

The royal family of England followed in all the 
splendor of their courtly dignity. The wedding 
march was played, the Queen rose, the Princeof Wales 
entered with loving eyes full-fixed on his Queenly 
mother, and thebride appeared, nervous butbeautiful, 
the delight of that gazing multitude. The service was 
conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The 
sixty-seventh Psalm was chanted, the Benediction was 
pronounced, and the great event ended. 

It will be interesting to know how the costliest 
presents were sent to grace this royal marriage. 

Prince Christian's present consisted of a necklace 
of two thousand brilliants and one hundred and eight- 
een pearls, all of rare value, attached to which was 
the famous Byzantine Cross of Dagmar, in cloisonne 
enamel, traditionally said to contain such old-time 
relics as a portion of the veritable Cross, and a piece 
of the silk which had once covered the corpse of King 
Canute. 

The ladies of South Wales sent a splendid "badge" 
and bracelet, the former composed of the national 
emblem, the leek, in pearls, emeralds and diamonds, 
designed in the cinque-ceuto. 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 389 

The ladies of Scotland sent a costly Paisley shawl. 

The City of London, superb earrings and a diamond 
necklace. 

The Rajah of Kappoortulla sent a magnificent 
Indian necklace, remarkable for the size and beauty 
of its irregularly-shaped emerald drops. 

The Mahrarajah Duleep Singh sent a bouquet- 
holder of rock crystal. 

The Rajah of Nabha a necklace ablaze with dia- 
monds, pearls and emeralds. 

The Rajah of Furreedkote a bridal-gife of curious 
enameled bangles. 

The City of Norwich sent a pair of magnificent 
iron gates for the Park of Sandringham. 

The Edinburgh Highland Volunteers sent a fine 
brooch of antique design, with the words : "Welcome 
and Hail to the Daughter of Denmark from the Land 
of the Mountains. 1863." 

The ladies of Liverpool sent a bracelet composed 
of opals, diamonds and emeralds. 

The enthusiastic daughters of Erin sent to the 
Princess as Countess of Dublin, at the instance of 
Lady Rachel Butler, a glorious lace ball-dress of 
native manufacture. 

These are but a few of the countless presents that 
came from far and near to greet the Sea-King's 
daughter from over the sea. 

Marlborough House, London, was given up to the 
young people for their town residence. But the 
country house is at Sandringham, in Norfolk. It is 
said that Prince Albert selected this home for his 
son, as being one of the quietest and most delightful 
of country residences. 



390 THEPRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

Lord Palmerston proposed to give the Prince 
$200,000 per annum out of the ConsoHdated Fund, 
and the Princess $50,000. Both Houses agreed, and 
the Bill received the royal assent. 

Since his marriage, the Prince has grown in favor 
with people of all classes. 

There is no man in Europe who has a more remark- 
able memory for names and faces than the Prince of 
Wales. This has been tested over and over again. 
People whom he has met casually and with whom 
he has exchanged but a few words have been very 
much surprised to be recognized by him several years 
afterward. This is undoubtedly a very strong element 
in his character, so far as popularity is concerned. 

One of the most successful qualities of the Prince's 
character is his ability to make a good public address. 
He is not an eloquent man None of his speeches 
are at all out of the ordinary way. You might read 
them all through and you would not find in them a 
single sentence remarkable for its beauty or original- 
ity. But these speeches are always short, simple, plain 
and unpretentious. 

The Prince of Wales takes no part in politics. He 
has never voted but once in the House of Peers, and 
this was upon the act for the bill authorizing marriage 
between a man and his dead wife's sister. He knows 
that royalty in Eng-land owes its strength to its occu- 
pying a neutral position, and that it would be soon 
endangered if it were to be embroiled with political 
actions. 

He does not express opinions upon political sub- 
jects, even among his most intimate associates. Some 
years ago he gave a dinner at Marlborough House 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 391 

which no other EngHsh gentleman could have suc- 
ceeded in giving. He took a particular dehght in 
this dinner, because he had brought there the leaders 
of factions who had been fighting each other with 
the greatest intensity and bitterness for years. The 
extreme Tory and the most vigorous home-ruler, the 
representatives of the highest aristocracy and the most 
extreme Radical, high church dignitaries and eloquent 
dissenters, the legal profession, and even the city 
were taken into this gathering. The Prince, in the 
seating of his guests, placed the opposing elements 
side by side. Mr. Gladstone, who was an honored 
guest at this dinner, was seated between two of the 
most furious Tories in Great Britain, one of them 
a high church dignitary, who had often said that he 
would be reconciled if a thunderbolt from God struck 
Gladstone down. The arrangement of these guests 
afforded a striking illustration of one of the most 
prominent elements in the Prince's character. He 
hates factions and is always seeking to harmonize. In 
giving this dinner he practically said : "Gentlemen, 
dififer as you will as to the method of conducting the 
public afifairs of England, but do not let these differ- 
ences carry you so far as to forget that you are 
Englishmen, and that upon the subject of England 
herself you should always stand united and harmoni- 
ous." 

Among the many public services in which the 
Prince of Wales took delight, was the opening of a 
grand Colonial and Indian Exhibition at South Ken- 
sington on the 4th of May, 1866. The Prince was 
the actual promoter, the executive president, and 
practically the director of the Exhibition. The enthu- 



892 THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

siasm with which His Royal Highness devoted him- 
self to this laudable enterprize, reflected the highest 
credit on the energy and business-like sagacity of the 
Prince, and won for him widespread and cordial 
admiration ; and Her Majesty was especially delighted 
to see her royal son walking the footsteps of his 
revered father. The Queen lent the grace of her pres- 
ence to the occasion and formally opened the Exhibi- 
tion. The occasion was most imposing. The building 
was densely crowded with a most brilliant audience. 
The entrance of the Queen was signalized by a flour- 
ish of trumpets. She was received by the Prince of 
Wales, and joined by the Princess of Wales, the 
Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duchess of Connaught, 
and other ladies of the royal family. The Prince of 
Wales and the Duke of Connaught each kissed the 
Queen's hand, and in return were kissed upon the 
cheek by their royal mother, amid the hearty plaudits 
of the assembled throng. A throne had been erected 
on a crimson dais, to which Her Majesty was con- 
ducted by the Prince of Wales ; as soon as the Queen 
was seated, the national anthem was sung, part in 
English and part in Sanskrit. The Prince of Wales 
then read an impressive address, in which were set 
forth the character and purposes of the Institution. 

Her Majesty in gracious response, said : "I receive 
with the greatest satisfaction the address which you 
have presented to me on the opening of this Exhibi- 
tion. I have observed with a warm and increasing 
interest the progress of your proceedings in the exe- 
cution of the duties intrusted to you by the Royal 
Commission, and it affords me sincere gratification 
to witness the successful results of your judicious and 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 393 

unremitting exertions in the magnificent Exhibition 
which has been gathered here to-day. I am deeply 
moved by your reference to the circumstances in 
which the ceremony of 185 1 took place, and I heartily 
concur in the belief you have expressed, that the 
Prince Consort, my beloved husband, had he been 
spared, would have witnessed with intense interest 
the development of his ideas, and would, I may add, 
have seen with pleasure our son taking the lead in . 
the movement of which he was the originator. I cor- 
dially concur with you in the prayer that this under- 
taking may be the means of imparting a stimulus to 
the commercial interests and intercourse of all parts 
of my dom.inions, by encouraging the arts of peace 
and industry, and by strengthening the bonds of union 
which now exist in every portion of my Empire." A 
prayer was ofifered by the Archbishop of Canterbury ; 
the Hallelujah Chorus was performed by the choir; 
Madame Albani sang "Home, Sweet Home." Her 
Majesty then bowed to the audience, and as she 
descended from the throne the strains of the national 
anthem filled the great building with loyal melody. 
It is an open secret that the Prince of Wales was 
very anxious to serve on the Labor Commission. He 
had served on the Commission of the Housing of the 
Poor, and he saw no reason why he should not be a 
member of the Commission which owed its existence 
to the initiative of Sir John Gorst. * * * The Prince 
has a genuine sympathy with the people. There are in 
him all the elements of the truly Democratic Prince. 
He has unfailing courtesy, an unwearying patience, a 
marvelous memory, and a kindliness that are worthy 



884 THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

of a Prince at his best. To keep him from these high 
tasks of the nation is a grave mistake. 

The Prince remarked not long ago to a friend of 
his, somewhat pensively, upon the difference between 
his nephew, William of Germany, and himself: 

"Look at my nephew," he said, "he is but a youth, 
but he is the center of everything. He orders every- 
thing, directs everything, is everything ; whereas I am 
not allowed to do anything at all." 

The critics of the Baccarat scandal found in this fact 
some considerable excuse for the Prince of Wales. 

A writer in the Figaro says : 

"The English have no right to get indignant with 
their Heir Apparent ; but it appears to me that they 
would do well on this occasion to make some slight 
reforms themselves. If they want princes to be pre- 
pared to act as kings, they must not keep them 
entirely out of the domain of politics. If they want 
the princes solely as ornaments, they ought to make 
them a suitable allowance. If they don't want princes 
at all let them say so. Meantime, they have no right 
to flagellate Queen Victoria's son with the maxim, 
however just it may be, that a prince has higher duties 
to fulfill than an ordinary individual." 

Nor was the distinguished French critic alone. 
Almost in the same strain, the Independent of New 
York says : 

"The Baccarat case has moved more loyal Britons 
to ask than ever asked the question before what possi- 
ble excuse there can be for keeping up such a pro- 
longed, expensive and dangerous sham as an idle 
Heir Apparent with no duties, no responsibilities, and 
nothing in the world to do. Frederick of Germany, 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 395 

while he was Crown Prince, was kept full of care and 
responsibility which led straight on to the supreme 
duties of the head of the State. In England the actual 
royal responsibilities of the Sovereign are not great, 
and those of the Heir Apparent are still less. The 
Prince of Wales is past fifty, and has not yet had 
responsibility enough to have ceased to be frivolous." 

The very excellencies of the Prince's character 
opened the doors of those follies which gave abun- 
dant opportunity for the meanest scandals to exploit 
themselves. Of the Prince of Wales it may be said 
with intense emphasis, that "he has been more sinned 
against than sinning." He was naturally a bon vivant 
rather than an anchorite. He was a lover of pleasure, 
but by no means vicious. Perhaps after all, the worst 
thing that can be said against him is that he was 
unwise and unhappy in the companions he chose. 

The courage with which he confronted his accusers 
and submitted himself before the Court of Justice, 
offering himself freely for examination and cross-ex- 
amination, when he might have sheltered himself 
behind the claim to be tried only by "a jury of his 
peers," awoke the universal admiration of the people, 
for that fearless pluck and courage which they esteem 
as the essential qualities of true worth and manUness. 
If the Prince had shown the "white feather" or had 
even appeared to be "afraid," he would have lost 
the confidence of his people ; but acting as he did, it is 
very questionable if the Baccarat scandal, and the 
Lady Mordaunt episode, did not in the long run add 
to, rather than diminish, the Prince's popularity. 

This at least should be remembered, for the last 
thirty years of his life the Prince of Wales has devoted 



396 THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

most of his time and influence to those movements 
that are for the public good. During these years, 
the Prince of Wales has been at the head of nearly 
all those great charitable and philanthropic enter- 
prises. Millions of dollars have been contributed to 
these noble purposes through the direct influence of 
the Prince of Wales, and many millions more through 
his indirect influence, for as has been said, over and 
over again : "Between them, the Prince of Wales and 
his charming wife, have made charitable institutions 
a fashion and a fad !" 

If this be so, it was a very happy fashion, and a 
very charming fad. 

It was due to the persuasion of the Prince of Wales 
that Sir Francis Cook was induced to give $200,000 
towards the endowment of a home for girls attending 
the Royal College of Music. Moved by the same 
potent influence, Sir Thomas Lucas furnished the 
building at a cost of a further $200,000. 

It is averred that not less than a hundred London 
hospitals and forty orphanages owe their very exist- 
ence to the Prince of Wales directly or indirectly. 

Take him for all in all, the Prince of Wales well 
deserves the high place he holds in the estimation 
of the people. There may yet be — who can tell? — a. 
decade of kingly service before him, in which he may 
reveal excellencies of character which hitherto have 
been hidden by circumstances and conditions he has 
not been able to direct or control. If this "King" ever 
"comes to his own," as the old phrase goes, he will 
meet with the most cordial and loyal welcome, and 
England no doubt will have abundant reason to be 
proud of King Edward VII. 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES 397 

It is only due in passing to note that the Prince of 
Wales was ever courteous to American visitors to 
England and an earnest advocate of the maintenance 
of the closest and kindest relations between Great 
Britain and the United States. He regarded Chaun- 
cey M. Depew as one of his warmest personal friends, 
and of his royal friend our distinguished Senator says : 

"Instead of finding the Prince of Wales a man 
wholly devoted to the sports of the field, to the frolics 
of the board and the chase, I met a thoughtful, digni- 
fied gentleman, filling to the brim the requirements 
of his exalted position; in fact, a practical as well as 
a theoretical student of the mighty forces which con- 
trol the government of all great countries, and make 
their best history." 

These are not the words of flattery, but a sober and 
wise analysis of character, by a master mind, who 
knows whereof he speaks. 

Of the perilous illness of the Prince of Wales, and 
of the nation's unfeigned sorrow and anxiety during 
its continuance, and of the joy of the people on his 
recovery we have elsewhere spoken ; as well as of the 
Prince's memorable visit to India, which won for him 
great Oriental renown and deepened the loyalty of the 
Indian Empire to that sovereign lady who was at once 
their Empress and their Queen. 

The quiet, happy home life of Sandringham was 
the delight of the Prince and Princess of Wales. The 
present writer well remembers with what delight the 
people hailed the advent, one by one, of sons and 
daughters, who came to make that home bright and 
beautiful and full of promxise. One bright morning, 
walking down Piccadilly, he observed here and there 



398 THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 

groups of people engaged in the study of a new pho- 
tograph of national interest. It was a portrait of the 
Princess of Wales, bearing her young son pick-a-back. 
The eminently natural, motherly aspect of the picture 
made it the most popular photograph of the period. 
Tens of thousands of them found their way into the 
homes and albums of the people. 

Among the most recent tokens of the practical sym- 
pathy and philanthropy of the gracious lady of Sand- 
ringham, this story is told of the year 1900: 

The Princess of Wales, in addition to fitting up and 
sending out to South Africa a hospital ship of the 
same kind as the Maine, almost entirely at her own 
expense, the medical staff and the crew being in her 
personal pay, has likewise converted a block of build- 
ings on her Sandringham estate into a convalescent 
home for invalid officers. 

The home has been arranged and decorated most 
charmingly under the personal superintendence of the 
Princess. All sorts of beautiful things have been sent 
there from Sandringham. The walls of the smoking- 
room, for instance, are decorated in the most pictur- 
esque fashion with old china, the best wines from the 
royal cellars are included in the invalids' "rations," 
and the cuisine is of the finest. The royal stables are 
at the disposal of the inmates of the home, who drive 
about in the wagonettes and dogcarts used by the 
Prince and Princess of Wales. 

Before they left for the continent in the summer 
of 1900, the Prince and Princess went especially to 
.Sandringham to see if anything further could be done 
for the comfort of the invalids, and also gave permis- 
sion to use the billiard-room at the hall. The home 



THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. 399 

is intended by the Prince and Princess more especially 
for Colonial officers, the idea being that, whereas offi- 
cers hailing from the United Kingdom have their own 
friends and relatives to care for them during their 
convalescence, Colonial officers who are invalided are 
more liable to find them.selves homeless in England 
and uncared for, save by strangers. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



THE CYPRUS AND THE ORANGE WREATH 

But the days at last brought sorrow to Sandring- 
ham as they had brought sorrow to Windsor. The 
Duke of Clarence, the first-born of the Prince of 
Wales and the favorite grandson of the Queen, died 
on the 14th of January, 1892. 

The Duke was attacked on the 9th of January by 
influenza and pneumonia in a severe form. He had 
caught cold at the funeral of Prince Victor of Hohen- 
lohe-Langenberg, another of the numerous victims of 
the insidious malady which then hung like a pall over 
the country. In the case of the Duke of Clarence, 
inflamimation of the lungs supervened at an early 
stage. All efforts to arrest the complication of dis- 
orders proved unavailing, and on the morning of the 
sixth day after he had been taken ill he succumbed, 
never having ralhed under the skillful treatment and 
unremitting care of which he was the object. His 
death occurred only within a few weeks of the date 
fixed for his marriage with his cousin, the Princess 
May. 

The youth of the Duke of Clarence, the brilliancy 
of his prospects, the fact that he was about to be 
happily wedded, all combined to give to his death a 
tragic pathos which appealed powerfully to every 
class of the community. No effort had ever been 
made to thrust him on the attention of the public; 
but Englishmen, rightly interpreting all that was 
400 



THE CYPRUS AND THE ORANGE WREATH. 401 

known about him, had arrived at the conclusion to 
which personal intercourse with him had brought so 
keen a judge of men as Prince Bismarck — that he 
was a young man of frank and amiable character, a 
"perfect type of an English gentleman." 

They recognized in him all the qualities which are 
most essential for the lofty position to which he was 
born, and did not doubt that if he lived to inherit the 
throne he would discharge with honor to himself 
and with advantage to the Empire the duties of a 
Constitutional Sovereign. The announcement of his 
death produced a deep, universal, and most painful 
impression. No one who saw how the tidings were 
received will ever forget the aspect of the streets. It 
was as if every man and woman in the kingdom had 
been overtaken by a great private sorrow. 

It was everywhere felt that the Queen would suffer 
severely from this fresh trial. Her Majesty had never 
quite recovered from the blow which, thirty years 
ago, deprived her of the husband whom she had so 
passionately loved; and since that time she had to 
bear with such resignation as was possible many 
another cruel shock. To the Duke of Clarence she 
was warmly attached. 

Of the Prince and Princess of Wales it is enough 
to say that the country was deeply touched by 
the thought of their sorrow. The nation which con- 
gratulated them so joyfully on the birth of their eldest 
son, could not but utter a cry of distress when Death 
took him from them. Theirs was as bitter a grief as 
any of which humanity is capable, and the wound they 
received left a mark which Time itself will not be 
strong enough wholly to efiface. 

26 



402 THE CYPRUS AND THE ORANGE WREATH. 

Few Londoners will ever forget the way in which 
the tidings were received and spread in the Metrop- 
olis. The news had been communicated to the Lord 
Mayor quite early, and large crowds had gathered to 
read the copies of the telegrams which were at once 
posted outside the Mansion House. The first, signed 
De Winton, told that a change for the worst had 
occurred, and that fear had taken the place of hope ; 
the second that the fear had been reahzed. And the 
third and last was from the Prince of Wales, and 
read: 

"Our beloved son passed away at 9 a. m. 

"Albert Edward." 

The news spread wide and quickly. For to each 
breast the news had struck home, not only with the 
knowledge that the heir to Britain was dead ; but with 
the thought that death had taken him in the flush 
of youth and happiness ; with the thought that a father 
and mother had lost their first-born, and a sweet and 
good young lady her betrothed ; and that another sor- 
row had been added to the many suffered by our 
beloved Queen. Never has a misfortune which has 
befallen the royal family been so deeply shared by the 
nation. 

In the last sad hours, the Rev. F. A. J. Hervey, 
Domestic Chaplain to the Prince of Wales, read the 
prayers for the dying in the presence of the assem- 
bled family. There were present in the solemn cham- 
ber of death, the Prince and Princess of Wales, who 
had never left their son's bedside, Prince George, Prin- 
cess Louisa, Duchess of Fife, the Princesses Victoria 
and Maud, the Duke and Duchess of Teck, waiting 
and keeping sacred vigil in the last sad hours. 



THE CYPRUS AND THE ORANGE WREATH. 403 

The testimony of Dr. Hervey to the sterHng char- 
acter of the Prince is well worth recording : 

He said that the whole nation was now mourning 
for the loss of one born to high estate, living, as it 
were, in the future, anticipating, as we all hoped, 
that in the future — the distant future — he might 
occupy the most important post in this realm, one 
whose loss seemed brought before us under specially 
melancholy circumstances. While standing, as it 
were, on the very verge of a marriage from which the 
nation hoped so much, on the point of being united to 
one whose aiBance with him the nation hailed with 
so much joy, with every preparation being made for 
the completion of that marriage from which we all 
hoped so much, the hand of death had fallen on this 
young man at his entrance upon a life which must 
necessarily have been an important one in the history 
of the nation. Prepared as he had been, by a youth of 
diligent effort, to secure for him the advantages which 
were required for his very exalted position ; laboring 
as his parents had done to secure for him that extended 
knowledge of the Government of the Empire over 
which they fondly hoped he might one day be called 
upon to reign ; initiated in very early youth in the two 
great military professions on which the nation 
depended for its security ; laboring in the various avo- 
cations to which he was called with assiduity, we all 
looked forward to see in him one who would worthily 
occupy the great position which seemed destined to 
him from his birth, but the nation's hopes so far as 
he was concerned had been blasted. 

While they thought of him from this point of view, 
they likewise could not but feel the deepest distress 



404 THE CYPRUS AND THE ORANGE WREATH. 

for those who were closely bound to him by ties of 
affection and relationship. His parents rejoiced in 
him as a youth of singular amiability and kindness 
of character. The Queen, whom we had looked up to 
with so much honor for many years, had now to 
mourn in her advanced years the loss of a grandson 
in whom her hopes were signally placed. We 
mourned for her and for his parents. 

The funeral was simple but impressive. 

The cofifin was on a gun-carriage, with a big silk 
Union Jack for a pall, and beautiful wreaths and 
crosses of flowers almost hiding the hussar busby 
and sword. Then appeared the tall plumes of the 
officers of the loth Hussars, and the bearing party, 
who quickly resumed their busbies, to lift the coffin 
from the carriage. There was again a moment of 
silence, and presently the silken pall, with its burden 
of white flowers, shone beneath the western window. 
A chant broke the stillness, and there was the faint 
sweep of the white robes of the choristers and clergy 
as they reformed in procession. "I am the resurrec- 
tion and the life/' sang the choir, their voices rising 
now into triumph, now falling into sadness, and to 
the accompaniment of the church's song of hope came 
the slow procession. The choir was followed by the 
clergy, and at a short interval walked an official in 
evening dress. Immediately behind him came three 
equerries in scarlet uniform, bearing upon cushions 
the coronet and insignia of the late Prince. A small 
detachment of Hussars came next, and immediately 
behind them was borne the coffin upon the shoulders 
of some of their comrades. The ten officers of the 
regiment v/ho acted as pall bearers walked by the side 



THE CYPRUS AND THE ORANGE WREATH. 405 

of the coffin. The Prince of Wales followed in a dark 
uniform, having on his right hand Prince George, and 
on his left Sir Dighton Probyn. Behind them walked 
the princes of the blood and a brilliantly-picturesque 
throng of home and foreign representatives. Scarlet 
and gold uniforms contrasted with the darker blues, 
with here and there a shade of orange and of gray. 
On reaching the choir, the coffin was placed upon the 
bier before the altar, and the coronet and insignia of 
the Prince were deposited thereon. No flowers were 
visible except the few wreaths upon the coffin. 

The Prince of Wales stood at the head of the coffin, 
with Prince George on the right and the Duke of 
Fife on the left. Surrounding them were the other 
royal personages. The Lord Chamberlain and the 
Lord Steward stood at the foot of the bier, while on 
each side were arranged the pall bearers. 

The Dean of Windsor read the lesson, and the sen- 
tences beginning "Man that is born of a woman," were 
sung to the music of Croft and Purcell. 

The Bishop of Rochester then read the sentences, 
"Forasmuch as it hath pleased," and earth was cast 
upon the coffin by Canon Dalton, the tutor of the 
Prince. 

The choir here sang "I heard a voice from Heaven." 
The Bishop read the concluding prayer, and the Gar- 
ter King at Arms proclaimed the style of His Royal 
Highness. 

The memento from Her Majesty was a large 
wreath of white azaleas, arum lilies, and hyacinths, 
darkened with violets, and bordered with a setting of 
bay leaves, maiden-hair ferns, and myrtle. On one of 
the broad white satin ribbons of the wreath was 



406 THE CYPRUS AND THE ORANGE WREATH. 

inscribed in Old English characters: "A mark of ten- 
derest affection and love from his most devoted, lov- 
ing, and sorrowing grandmother, Victoria, R. I." 
Another offering which arrested the attention was 
the memento from the regiment in which the Duke 
served. This was a huge wreath of poinsettias, within 
whose scarlet inner circle the Prince of Wales' 
Feathers — the regimental crest — had been fashioned 
in white flowers, the white satin ribbons attached 
bearing in characters of gold the motto, "Ich dien." 

The Jewish Synagogues were deeply concerned in 
this sad experience, and from their ancient and sacred 
altars they offered the following prayer: 

"He who giveth salvation unto Kings and dominion 
unto Princes, whose kingdom is an everlasting king- 
dom, who delivered His servant David from the hurt- 
ful sword, who maketh a way in the sea and a path in 
the mighty waters, may He bless, guard, protect, and 
help, exalt, magnify, and highly aggrandize our Sov- 
ereign Lady Queen Victoria, Albert Edward, Prince 
of Wales, and the Princess of Wales, and all the Royal 
Family; may the Supreme King of Kings in His 
mercy preserve the Queen in life, guard her and 
deliver her from all trouble, sorrow, and hurt; may 
He subdue nations under her sway and make her 
enemies fall before her, and in whatsoever she under- 
takes may she prosper; may the supreme King of 
Kings in His mercy put compassion into her heart 
and into the hearts of her counselors and nobles, and 
they may deal kindly with us and with all Israel; in 
her days and in ours may Judah be saved and Israel 
dwell securely, and may the Redeemer come unto 



THE CYPRUS AND THE ORANGE WREATH. 407 

Zion, Oh, that this may be His will, and let us say 
Amen." 

But there was joy as well as sorrow at Sandring- 
ham. July 22nd, 1896, saw the marriage of Maud, 
youngest daughter of the Prince of Wales. 

All England was interested in the marriage of the 
Princess Maud, the third daughter of the Prince and 
Princess of Wales, to Prince Charles, second son of 
Crown Prince Frederick. The ceremony took place 
in the private chapel of Buckingham Palace. 

Inside the Marlborough House grounds, at the Pall 
Mall corner, the Prince of Wales had erected a stand 
for those of his friends who were unable to get to 
the palace. The Carleton Club was handsomely 
decorated in scarlet and white and the lamp posts were 
trimimed and decorated with white flowers. Devon- 
shire House in Piccadilly was cheaply decorated with 
a few flags and looped scarlet cloth on the front wall. 

The house of the Baroness Burdett-Coutts had a 
liberal display of scarlet cloth along its balcony. In 
St. James street, gorgeous decorations had been pre- 
pared and results were visible in all parts of the street. 
There were also displayed flags of all nations, includ- 
ing many United States flags, some of which were 
hoisted with the stars down. 

Crowds began to assemble at an early hour, and all 
points of vantage along the route from Marlborough 
House to Buckingham Palace were crowded with an 
orderly loyal populace. First Life Guards were 
stationed at intervals all along the route. 

At 1 1 130 o'clock, with subalterns and an escort of 
the Royal Horse Guards, the bridegroom. Prince 
Charles of Denmark, attended by his brothers, Prince 



408 THE CYPRUS AND THE ORANGE WREATH. 

Christian and Prince Harold, and their supporters, 
left Marlborough house in State carriages. As they 
appeared a few cheers were sent up by the populace 
and there was a general waving of handkerchiefs. 
Then the Princess of Wales and her second daughter, 
Princess Victoria, accompanied by the Duke and 
Duchess of Sparta, Prince Nicholas of Greece, and a 
large suite, emerged from Marlborough House amid 
much applause. The Princess of Wales appeared to 
be in a particularly gracious mood and bowed to the 
right and to the left in recognition of the greeting 
she had received. The party were escorted by the 
Captains of the escort of the Life Guards. 

At 12:10 o'clock the Prince of Wales, with the bride, 
his daughter, and.the ladies and gentlemen in attend- 
ance, and the Captains of the escort of Life Guards, 
started for the palace. As they emerged from Marl- 
borough House, they were greeted with the utmost 
enthusiasm. 

The bride, pleased and smiling and bowing, could 
plainly be seen by the people in the street, as she was 
seated in the fairy like glass coach of the Prince of 
Wales. 

On arriving at Buckingham Plouse the bride's 
party were received by the Lord Chamberlain, and 
conducted to the library, where the bridesmaids and 
the Duke and Duchess of York were waiting to meet 
them. 

The bridal costume was of white satin, en traine, 
with a deep belt of silver embroidery, studded with a 
delicate design in brilliants. For the benefit of lady 
readers, the following technical description by one 
of the modistes is given: 



THE CYPRUS AND THE ORANGE WREATH. 409 

"The wedding gown, which was made in Spital- 
fields, was of pure white Enghsh satin^ with long train, 
clearly cut in with the skirt, and trimmed in one corner 
with a full bow of mousseline de sole and orange 
blossoms. A ruche of delicate fabric and flowers 
bordered the skirt hem at the front and sides. On 
the bodice, the satin was drawn across the figure to a 
point at the left side, under a bow of the mousseline 
de soie and cluster of orange blossoms, and on the 
back there were lines carried downward, terminating 
at the left side of the waist in a band of exquisite silver 
and diamond embroidery. The low, square decolle- 
tage was trimmed with folds of silk muslin and trails 
of orange blossoms, and billowy musHn sleeves were 
formed of waterfall puffs, with trails of the flowers 
carried down each puff and falling on the arm in single 
bud." 

Around her neck the bride wore a magnificent 
circle of brilliants, the gift of the Queen, while about 
the costume were fastened the numerous ornaments 
and orders which she is entitled to wear. 

The couple presented a strong contrast at the altar, 
the groom being over six feet in height, while the 
bride is petite. 

The Princess of Wales wore a gown of rich white 
silk, with silver embroidery around the neck. Her 
hair was dressed in exquisite taste and liberally set 
ofif with diamonds. 

The Duchess of Sparta wore a gown of white and 
silver brocade and a magnificent diamond tiara, 
tipped with white pearls. 

The gown worn by the Duchess of York was of 
white brocade silk, the bodice trimmed with pointe 



410 THE CYPRUS AND THE ORANGE WREATH. 

d'Alencon lace. She also wore a tiara of diamonds 
and pearls. 

Mrs. Joseph Chamberlain wore white satin, the 
bodice being almost veiled with white chiffon. 

Miss Yznaga wore a dress of striped chine glace 
silk. 

The bridesmaids were dressed in pure white satin, 
made with low bodices, and beautifully embroidered 
in silver. In the hair of each was a white aigrette and 
a cluster of red geraniums, and each carried a bouquet 
of red geraniums. The red and white carried out in 
the bridesmaids' toilets, and which also characterized 
the decorations in the streets, were out of compliment 
to the bridegroom, these being the Danish national 
colors. 

The bridesmaids were eight in number, being 
Princess Victoria of Wales, sister of the bride. Prin- 
cess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, Princess Ingle- 
bord of Denmark, Princess Thyra of Denmark, Prin- 
cess Margaret and Princess Patricia of Connaught, 
Princess Alice of Albany, and Lady Alexandra Duff, 
the little niece of the bride. 

The bride's procession was then formed and pro- 
ceeded to the chapel, the way being led by two 
heralds, two gentlemen ushers, the Lord Chamber- 
lain and the Vice Chamberlains. The bride was sup- 
ported on one side by her father, the Prince of Wales, 
and on the other by her brother, the Duke of York. 

The bridesmaids followed, while the gentlemen of 
the household, the equerries, and others, brought up 
the rear. 

In the meantime the Queen had been conducted 
privately from her apartments to the vestibule of the 



THE CYPRUS AND THE ORANGE WREATH. 411 

chapel. There the Queen's procession was formed 
and proceeded into the chapel. It was composed of 
heralds, ushers, women of the bedchamber, bearers 
of the gold sticks, and other officials of the Queen's 
household. With the Queen walked her son, the 
Duke of Connaught, and Prince Christian of Den- 
mark. 

The Queen walked into the chapel leaning heavily 
on the arm of Prince Christian of Denmark, and was 
conducted to a chair at the left of and facing the altar. 
Her Majesty was dressed in black silk, and wore the 
ribbon of the Order of the Garter and other decora- 
tions. A white lace veil, surmounted with a diamond 
tiara, covered her head. 

As soon as Her Majesty was seated the Lord 
Chamberlain and other officials of the Queen's house- 
hold retired, but immediately reappeared with another 
imposing procession, composed of all the other royal 
personages, the Prince of Wales and the Crown 
Prince of Denmark, the father of the bridegroom, 
bringing up the rear. 

When these had been seated the bridegroom's pro- 
cession entered. Prince Charles wore the uniform of 
a Lieutenant in the Danish navy. The Prince of 
Wales was attired in the uniform of a Colonel of the 
Grand Guards. 

Finally the bride and her attendants arrived. As 
each procession proceeded up a temporary aisle lead- 
ing to the chapel, each side was lined with the invited 
guests for whom seats could not be provided. The 
chapel band, stationed on the terrace, played a march. 
As Princess Maud's procession entered the chapel the 
choir sung the hymn, "Paradise." 



412 THE CYPRUS AND THE ORANGE WREATH. 

The Archbishop of Canterbury met the bride and 
bridegroom at the altar^ and there performed the 
marriage service, at the conclusion of which he 
delivered a short address. The bride and bridegroom 
uttered the response of the marriage ritual in low but 
audible tones. 

The chapel was beautifully decorated with flowers. 

After the register had been signed the Queen retired 
and the members of the royal party proceeded to the 
State dining-room, where luncheon was served, while 
the other guests were regaled in the ballroom. After 
luncheon the wedding couple received congratulations 
in the picture gallery. 

The weather during the pageant and ceremony 
was threatening, with occasional intervals of sunshine. 

Delay in saying adieu at the palace made the pro- 
cession an hour late in returning to Marlborough 
House. By that time the morning crowds had been 
much re-enforced. Bands, which had taken up posi- 
tions along the route through which the procession 
was to pass, enlivened the time during the waiting 
with music-hall ditties. At 3:40 o'clock the bridal 
couple left Buckingham Palace, the bands striking up 
the national air, "God Save the Queen," while the 
crowds greeted them with hearty cheers. The bride, 
who was quite pale, rode in the same carriage which 
had conveyed her to the palace. The young husband, 
sitting beside her in the glass coach, was smiling, but 
Princess Maud appeared quite serious. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



THE PRINCESS ROYAL. 

The fact that the Prince and Princess of Wales 
stand at the head of the Royal Family, the Prince 
being the direct heir to the throne, will sufficiently 
explain our reason for presenting our sketch of the 
Prince and of his charming consort first among these 
"Outlines of the Lives and Characteristics of the 
Sons and Daughters of the Queen." In the royal 
families of Europe, heirship counts for more than 
chronology. 

The Princess Royal was born on the 21st of 
November, 1840, to the great delight of her royal 
parents, notwithstanding Prince Albert did not hesi- 
tate to express the wish that the firstborn had been 
"a boy," to which Her Majesty had, as we may well 
be sure, a ready and suilficient answer. 

The Court Chronicle tells us that she was "a plump, 
healthy, beautiful princess." Of course the Lords in 
Council and. other great dignitaries had, as one of 
the duties of their high offices, to hold a solemn 
reception and to inspect the first-born of the royal 
house, which, the faithful chronicler avers, was evi- 
dently not to the. mind of the infant Princess, who 
resented this intrusion on her early privacy by very 
distinct expressions of feeling. 

, The Princess Royal was as gifted as she was bea,uti- 
ful. She had a ready wit, and was quick' to discern 

413 



414 THE PRINCESS ROYAL. 

the ludicrous side of things. She became very early 
in life the delight of the Court and of the people. 

She was her father's pet companion, and imbibed 
from his conversation while yet a child that grave, 
deep thoughtfulness that justified the high eulogium 
of the Prince of Wales, who said, not very long ago, 
that he regarded his sister, the Dowager Empress of 
Germany, as "one of the wisest women in the world." 

Many amusing stories are recorded of the young 
Princess and of her quaint, interesting ways. At 
Balmoral, when a little girl, she was a great favorite 
with all the cottagers about. It is related of her that 
one time she begged hard to be allowed to stand 
sponsor at the christening of one of the peasant 
babies to whom she was attached. The time came 
and everybody assembled at the church. No royal 
godmother, however, put in an appearance. The 
ceremony proceeded with a substitute. Near the end 
of it the Princess came hurrying in, breathless. "I 
just couldn't get here sooner. Please, can't you have 
it all over again," she panted. 

Lady Lyttelton, the second daughter of Earl Spen- 
cer, who had been lady-in-waiting since the Queen's 
accession, had been entrusted by Her Majesty with 
the charge of the royal children. She was a kind, 
motherly lady, admirably fitted for this important 
office, which she held for eight years. The royal 
mother, however, remained herself the chief authority 
in nursery matters, and supervised every detail of the 
children's training. In drawing up some rules for 
their education, she said: "The greatest maxim of all 
is — that the children should be brought up as simply 
as possible, and in as domestic a way as possible; that, 



THE PRINCESS ROYAL. 415 

not interfering with their lessons, they should be as 
much as possible with their parents, and learn to place 
their greatest confidence in them in all things. 
* * * Religious training is best given to a child 
at its mother's knee." Apropos of the latter, there is 
a story told of the quick-visioned child, to the follow- 
ing effect: The Queen was reading the Bible with 
her little daughter, and came to the passage, "God 
created man in His own image, in the image of God 
created He him," upon which "Vicky," who had a 
sense of beauty and fitness, exclaimed, "But, mamma, 
surely not Dr. Pratorious?" This gentleman was 
secretary to Prince Albert, and by no means good- 
looking. 

Very clever children need to be restrained betimes, 
or they will grow vain and tiresome. Even the Prin- 
cess Royal with all her pert, pretty ways, needed the 
curb occasionally, and how promptly the royal mother 
applied it is illustrated by the following story: When 
about thirteen years old the Princess accompanied 
her mother to a military review, and seemed disposed, 
as she sat in her carriage, to be a little coquettish with 
some of the young officers of the escort. The Queen 
gave her some warning looks without avail, and pres- 
ently the young Princess dangled her handkerchief 
over the side of the carriage and dropped it — evidently 
for the purpose. There was an immediate rush of 
young officers to pick it up; but the royal mother bid 
the gentlemen desist from their gallant intention, and 
turning to poor unfortunate "Vicky," said in a stern 
voice, "Now, my daughter, pick up your handkerchief 
yourself." There was no help for it; the footman let 
down the steps, and the young Princess did her 



416 THE PRINCESS ROYAL. 

mother's bidding-, with flaming cheeks and a saucy 
toss of the head. 

Another example of this royal discipline is well 
worth recording. When Dr. Brown, of Windsor, 
entered the service of Prince Albert, the little prin- 
cesses, hearing their father address him as "Brown," 
used the same form of speech. The Queen corrected 
them, and told them to say "Dr. Brown." All obeyed 
except "Vicky," who was threatened with "bed" if she 
transgressed again. Next morning, when the Doctor 
presented himself to the royal family, the young 
Princess, looking straight at him, said, "Good morn- 
ing, Brown!" Then, seeing the eyes of her mother 
fixed upon her, she rose and, with a curtsey, con- 
tinued, "and good night. Brown, for I am going to 
bed," and she walked resolutely away to her punish- 
ment. 

The years pass on, the child has passed from the 
mystic boundaries of maidenhood to early woman- 
hood, and Prince Frederick William, son of the 
Crown-Prince of Prussia, then heir-presumptive to the 
Prussian throne, has come a-wooing amid the 
heathery hills of Scotland for Victoria's first-born 
child. 

Her Majesty thus refers to the Betrothal of the 
Princess Royal: 

"Sep. 29, 1856. 

"Our dear Victoria was this day engaged to Prince 
Frederick William of Prussia, who had been on a 
yisit to us since the 14th. He had already spoken to 
us of his wishes on the 20th ; but we were uncertain, 
on account of her extreme youth, whether he should 
speajk to her himself, or wait, till he came back again, 



THE PRINCESS ROYAL. 417 

However, we felt it was better he should do so; and 
during our ride up Craig-na-Ban this afternoon, he 
picked a piece of white heather (the emblem of 'good 
luck'), which he gave to her, and this enabled him to 
make an allusion to his hopes and wishes as they rode 
down Glen Girnoch, which led to this happy conclu- 
sion." 

The poetic outset of this courtship was worthy of 
all that followed; for the domestic happiness of the 
Princess Royal was like that of her mother's — cloud- 
less and beautiful, but all too brief. 

The contemplated marriage of the Princess Royal 
of England with the Crown Prince Frederick William 
of Prussia was a matter of grave and serious import- 
ance. The Princess was young, and it was suggested 
to the Crown Prince that he should wait two years at 
least for his over-young bride. 

To use the familiar phraseology of the time, it was 
generally felt that the German Court was likely to 
prove a hornets' nest for the young Princess. But 
those who knew her well felt that she was quite equal 
to holding her own. Bismarck was a great power at 
Berlin, and it will not be out of place to quote a brief 
passage from one of his speeches relating to England. 
He was not a man to flatter, but had a stern, vigorous, 
uncompromising way of expressing himself. 

"Give us/' he said, "everything English that we do 
not possess. Give us English piety, and English 
respect for law; give us, if you please, the entire 
English Constitution, but with it the entire relations 
of the English landlords, English wealth, and English 
commonsense; then it will be possible to govern in 

a similar manner. But the Prussian Crown must not 

27 



418 THE PRINCESS ROYAL. 

be forced into the powerless position of the English 
Crown, which appears more like an elegant ornament 
at the apex of the edifice of State than the supporting 
pillar it is to Prussia." 

It was perhaps necessary that a poet should arise, 
and describe the throne of Queen Victoria, as a throne 

"Broad-based upon Her people's will." 
Thus in one comprehensive line, Tennyson crowded 
the poetry of politics, and the politics of poetry. The 
throne and crown of England have not been "elegant 
ornaments" alone, they have been grandly emblem- 
atic of a rule of righteousness, and a reign of broad- 
ening freedom. 

On the 25th of January, 1858, the first break 
occurred in the royal family. On that day the Prin- 
cess Royal was married to Prince Frederick William 
of Prussia. Long before the happy event transpired 
the public sentiment was stirred to intense sympathy 
and excitement. 

The Chapel Royal, St. James'^ was the scene of this 
august ceremony. The members of the Royal Family 
were all present, beside many other illustrious guests. 
As at all weddings, the costumes of the bride and 
bridesmaids and their associate friends have an 
unspeakable charm for those who hope some day to 
stand with palpitating heart before the altar, — it is 
reasonable to conclude that a record of the "wedding 
garments" of this special occasion will prove more 
than ordinarily interesting. Her Majesty the Queen 
wore a train of lilac velvet, with petticoat of lilac and 
silver moire antique, and a flounce of Honiton lace. 
The corsage was ornamented with diamonds, the 
magnificent Koh-i-noor, or mountain of light, was 



THE PRINCESS ROYAL. 419 

worn as a brooch. A magnificent diadem of diamonds 
constituted the head-dress. 

The Prince Consort and King Leopold were in 
field-marshal's uniforms ; the Prince of Wales and the 
other Princes in Highland costumes; and the Prin- 
cesses Alice, Helena, and Louise — who went hand-in- 
hand behind their royal mother in the procession — 
wore white lace over pink satin, with daisies and blue 
corn-flowers in their hair. The bridegroom, whose 
bearing was stately and dignified, wore the blue 
uniform of a Prussian general. When he appeared in 
the Chapel, which was now a scene of august and 
dazzling splendor, he bowed low to the Queen, and 
then to his mother. The bride came into the Chapel 
walking between her father and King Leopold, who 
was her godfather as well as her grand-uncle. She 
wore a white dress of moire and Honiton lace, with 
wreaths of orange and myrtle blossoms. Her gor- 
geous train was borne by eight bridesmaids — 

The Lady Susan Pelham Clinton, 

The Lady Emma Stanley, 

The Lady Susan Murray, 

The Lady Victoria Noel. 

The Lady Cecilia Gordon Lennox, 

The Lady Catherine Hamilton, 

The Lady Constance Villiers, 

The Lady Cecilia Molyneux — 
These were the unmarried daughters of dukes, 
marquises and earls. The very flower of English 
beauty and nobility. They wore the simplest form of 
dress, white tulle, with wreaths and bouquets of pink 
roses and white heather. As the Princess advanced, 
says, the Annual Register, she paused on her way to 



420 THE PRINCESS ROYAL. 

the altar, and made a deep reverence to her mother, 
her pale face flushing crimson as she bowed. A simi- 
lar observance was made to the Prince of Prussia. 
The bridegroom then advanced, and, dropping on one 
knee, took her hand and pressed it with fervent love 
and eyes aflame with admiration. 

The Marriage Ceremony was performed by His 
Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by the 
Bishops of London, Oxford and Chester, and the 
Dean of Windsor. At its conclusion the "Hallelujah 
Chorus" was performed. As soon as the ring was 
placed on the finger of the bride, the cannon from 
castle, and park, and tower, told all London that the 
happy pair were wed; and telegrams informed the 
German Capital that London and Berlin were united 
in inseparable bonds. 

The congratulations to the bride formed a most 
affecting scene. The Princess gave way to her pent- 
up feelings, and threw herself upon her mother's 
bosom, her whole frame shaken with a storm of agita- 
tion. The Queen shared the anguish of parting, and 
warmly and tenderly embraced her daughter again 
and again. Then came the gallant bridegroom, Prince 
PYederick William, who claimed the lover's privilege 
with a firm and tender embrace, and then Prince 
Albert with fatherly and tender emotion clasped his 
daughter in his arms. The bridegroom then kissed, 
first the hand and then the cheek of his father and 
mother, saluted the Prince Consort in German 
fashion, and was embraced by the Queen. The 
Princess-bride was about to kiss her father-in-law's 
hand, but he drew her towards him, and kissed her 
cheek. ■ The familiar -strains of Mendelssohn's "Wed-' 



THE PRINCESS ROYAL. 421 

ding March" were echoing through the stately fane 
as the bride and bridegroom went forth from the 
Chapel Royal hand-in-hand. 

The newly married pair then proceeded to Buck- 
ingham Palace, which was surrounded by an eager, 
delighted crowd, supremely anxious to give expres- 
sion to their loyalty and to wish all that was best and 
most blessed for the first-born of their Queen. The 
cheering was hearty and continuous, and at last Her 
Majesty appeared on the Balcony with the younger 
members of the Royal Family, only to receive the en- 
thusiastic plaudits of a happy people. The Queen 
retired for a moment, and then returned, leading the 
bride of that happy day in full view of the immense 
concourse, followed by Prince Frederick William, 
who stood by the side of his young wife. The two 
stood hand-in-hand and smilingly responded to the 
generous greetings of the multitude. The bride and 
bridegroom subsequently left for Windsor Castle, 
where they were to spend the honeymoon. 

This festal wedding-day was observed as a holiday 
throughout the United Kingdom, and in the evening 
London was brilliantly illuminated. Her Majesty 
created her royal son-in-law a Knight of the Order 
of the Garter. In the evening of the 29th the Court 
and the newly married couple returned to Bucking- 
ham Palace, from whence a State visit was paid to 
Her Majesty's Theatre, when "The Rivals and The 
Spitalfield's Weaver" was performed. 

Sunday followed, but the heart of the Queen was 
sad at the thought of parting. "God will carry us 
through," she wrote, "as Pie did on the 25th, and we 



422 THE PRINCESS ROYAL. 

have the comfort of seeing the dear young people so 
perfectly happy." 

The Princess, however, was much distressed at the 
thought of parting, and said to her mother: "I think 
it will kill me to take leave of dear papa." 

The separation came on the 2nd of February and 
the Palace was indeed a place of tears. The Queen 
was beside herself with grief. "I clasped her in my 
arms and blessed her," said the Queen, "and knew 
not what to say." And again: "I kissed good Fritz, 
and pressed his hand again and again. He was unable 
to speak, and the tears were in his eyes." The Prince 
Consort, and the Prince of Wales, and Prince Alfred, 
accompanied the Prince and Princess Frederick 
William to Gravesend. The last farewell of the tender 
father to his dear daughter, the first-born of his love 
and care, on this snowy winter's day was most 
affecting. 

The English bride was heartily welcomed in Ger- 
many. But she was English to the heart of her, and 
could not wholly cast aside the thoughts and habits, 
the tastes and memories, of her Island home. 

Unlike the Princess of Wales, the Empress Fred- 
erick has never been able to forget her foreign birth 
and accommodate herself to the stiff rules of the 
German Court. She was continually saying, "They 
do so in England." "But, mamma, we are not in 
England; we are in Germany," the present Emperor 
is reported to have once replied. The whole life of 
the Empress has been a futile struggle against the 
jealousies and political intrigues of a Court where 
she has never been popular. 



THE PRINCESS ROYAL. 423 

As an instance of the tiresome etiquette which she 
found irksome, the following anecdote is told: 

"A Prussian princess is not allowed by her mistress 
of the robes to take up a chair, and, after having 
carried it across the room, to put it down in another 
corner. It was while committing such a heinous 
offense against the laws of Prussian decorum that the 
Princess Victoria was once caught by Countess 
Perponcher. 

"The venerable lady remonstrated with a consider- 
able amount of earnestness. 

"Til tell you what,' replied the Princess; 'I'll tell 
you what, my dear Countess ; you are probably aware 
of the fact of my mother being the Queen of Eng- 
land?' The Countess bowed in assent. 'Well,' resumed 
the Princess, 'then I must reveal to you another fact. 
Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland 
has not once, but very often, so far forgotten herself as 
to take up a chair. I speak from personal observation, 
I can assure you. Nay, if I am not greatly deceived, 
I noticed one day my mother carrying a chair in each 
hand, in order to set them for the children. Do you 
really think that my dignity forbids anything which 
is frequently done by the Queen of England?' The 
Countess bowed again and retired, perhaps a little 
astonished at this revelation of what doubtless 
appeared to her to be the shocking state of domestic 
royal manners in England. Subsequent events, how- 
ever, lead one to believe that the Countess firmly 
carried out her own ideas of her ofRcial duty." 

The Crown Princess was idolized by her husband, 
who constantly deferred to her judgment in the most 
weighty matters. "We will ask my wife; she knows 



424 THE PRINCESS ROYAL. 

how to do everything," he was accustomed to say. "I 
love the war march of the priests in Athahe," he once 
remarked to an Enghsh nobleman; "they played it 
when my wife and I walked down the aisle after our 
marriage." 

A literary gentleman of Berlin, writing to Prince 
Albert concerning his beloved daughter, says : 

"She sees more clearly and more correctly than 
many a man of commanding intellect, because, while 
possessing an acute mind and the purest heart, she 
does not know the meaning of the word prejudice." 

In the happy years that followed we get charming 
accounts of the simple, pleasant life led by the Prince 
and his wife in their little palace. They walked and 
drove together, accompanied by their children, in the 
true English free and happy fashion. The bringing 
of the little ones down to dessert must have been a 
terrible blow to Prussian etiquette, but the Princess 
had her invariable answer: "We did it at home." 

Lord Clarendon said he "was more than ever aston- 
ished at the statesmanship and comprehensive views 
which she takes of Prussia, both internal and foreign, 
and of the duties of a constitutional King." 

The birth of her first-born son, now Emperor of 
Germany, was a great delight to the Queen, who 
writes of him in these ardent words: 

"Such a little love!" writes his grandmother. "He 
came walking in at his nurse's hand, in a little white 
dress, with black bows; and so good! * * * jje 
is a fine, fat child^ with a beautiful white, soft skin, 
very fine shoulders and limbs, and a very dear face. 
* * * So intelligent, and pretty, and good, and 
affectionate, — such a darhng!" 



THE PRINCESS ROYAL. 425 

It is somewhat pathetic to remember that this 'little 
love" has lived to flout his grandmother, and to weigh 
down his m.other's heart in her widowhood with sor- 
row that seems greater than any mother or widow 
in common life is called to bear. 

While Frederick III. lived to rule only a few 
months, he placed himself on record as unalterably 
opposed to the policy of the Iron Chancellor. The 
death of the King was a great blow to the Empress. 
She is still regarded by the Germans as an arrogant 
and intriguing woman. It is said, however, that, if 
she would but flatter the vanity of her son. Emperor 
William, her influence at Court would yet be un- 
bounded. As it is the Emperor is said to prefer that 
his mother remain as much as possible away from 
Berlin. 

Contrary to the ideas of her royal mother, the 
Empress has always been interested in the advance- 
ment of women. After becoming Empress she said: 

"I have always kept in view the moral and intel- 
lectual education of women, the advance of hygienic 
domestic arrangements, and I have endeavored to 
increase the prosperity of women by opening to them 
fields for gaining their livelihood; and I hope to attain 
still more in this direction with the loyal cooperation 
of the women of Berlin and of the whole country." 

Depressing accounts are current concerning the 
Empress. Her condition is most serious. For two 
years she has been more or less an invalid and con- 
siderable anxiety over her condition has been felt 
among the royal families of Germany and England. 
The Prince of Wales is especially fond of his eldest 
sister. It is said the Empress is so weak she has to 



426 THE PRINCESS ROYAL. 

be carried up and down stairs, though this may be due 
to the rheumatism from which she suffers. Queen 
Victoria wanted her eldest daughter to come back 
to England and for that reason gave her White 
Lodge, the residence of the late Duchess of Teck, but 
the Empress was not well enough to make the jour- 
ney. 



CHAPTER XXX 



THE PRINCESS ALICE. 

The Queen's third child, and second daughter, the 
Princess Alice, was born on the 25th of April, 1843. 

She was a sweet, good-tempered, bright little thing, 
and we have her mother's testimony that she behaved 
"extremely well" at her christening on June 2, when 
she received the fine old English names of Alice 
Maud Mary. When a year old she was described by 
her father as the "beauty of the family," the Queen 
adding the mother's corrective that she was "a very 
vain little person," although at a later date she herself 
describes her as La Beaute and the "dearest little 
bijou I ever saw." 

The little Princess grew to be as fearless as she was 
gentle, but always showed thoughtful consideration 
for the feelings of others. On one occasion, when the 
royal children were playing in the corridor at Windsor 
Castle, one of the Queen's dressers passed them, and 
the Prince of Wales, in a mischievous mood, made a 
not very flattering remark about her height. Princess 
Alice immediately said, in a voice loud enough for 
the dresser to hear, "It is very nice to be tall; papa 
would like us all to be tall." 

She was the most amiable of all the royal children 
and the especial favorite of her father, the Prince 
Consort. For a long time after the death of Prince 
Albert she was almost the sole link of communication 
between the Queen and the outside world. 

427 



428 THE PRINCESS ALICE. 

The Queen, writing of her second daughter, Alice, 
in the year 1843, says: "She is a pretty and large 
baby, and we think will be la beaute of the family. * 
* * Our little baby, of whom I am really proud, 
is to be called Alice, an old English name, and the 
other names are to be Maud, another old English 
name, and Mary, as she was born on Aunt Glouces- 
ter's birthday. 

In December, 1860^ Prince Louis of Hesse-Darm- 
stadt came a-wooing to the fair Princess Alice. 
Whether this match had been pre-arranged, or 
whether it was a case of "love at first sight," does not 
appear. The Queen's account of it would seem to 
indicate that she herself was a little unprepared for 
the event. In describing "how it all happened," Her 
Majesty says: "After dinner, while talking to the 
gentlemen, I perceived Alice and Louis conversing 
before the fireplace more earnestly than usual, and 
when I passed to go to the other room, both came up 
to me, and Alice in much agitation said he had pro- 
posed to her, and he begged for my blessing. I could 
only squeeze his hand and say, 'Certainly,' — and that 
we would see him in our room later. We got through 
the evening work as well as we could. Alice came to 
our room — agitated but quiet. Albert sent for Louis 
to his room, and then called Alice and me in. Louis 
has a warm, noble heart. We embraced our dear 
Alice and praised her much, too much, to him. He 
pressed and kissed my hand and I embraced him. 
After talking a little we parted; a most touching, and 
to me, most sacred moment." 

On the i6th of August, 1862, soon after her mar- 



THE PRINCESS ALICE. 429 

riage, the Princess Alice wrote to her v/idowed 
mother in these gentle filial terms : 

"Oh, mamma, the longing I sometimes have for 
dear papa surpasses all bounds. In thought he is 
ever present with me. Dear, good papa! Take cour- 
age, dear mamma, and feel strong in the thought that 
you require all your moral and physical strength to 
continue the journey which brings you daily nearer to 
Home and Him." 

And again, a little later, she writes: 

"I am sure, dear mamma, the more you try to 
appreciate and to find the good in that which God 
in His love has left you, the more worthy you will 
daily become of that which is in store. That earthly 
happiness you had indeed is gone forever, but you 
must not think that every ray of it has left you. You 
have the privilege, which dear papa knew so well how 
to value, in your exalted position, of doing good and 
living for others, of carrying on his plans, his wishes, 
into fulfilment; and as you go on doing your duty 
this will, this must^ I feel sure, bring you peace and 
comfort. Forgive me, darling mamma, if I speak too 
openly, but rriy love for you is such that I cannot be 
silent." 

The marriage of the Princess to Prince Louis of 
Hesse-Darmstadt was private and took place in July, 
1862. The engagement had been warmly approved 
by Prince Albert before his death, and from all reports 
was a love match. She received a most enthusiastic 
reception at Darmstadt, and her husband's people 
were captivated by her simplicity and grace, united 
as it- was to her great dignity of demeanor. The 
home of the ybung ' piir was quite a small house 



430 THE PRINCESS ALICE. 

adjoining tiie palace of Prince Louis' parents, Prince 
and Princess Charles of Hesse, and they started 
housekeeping with an exceedingly modest income for 
their position. Indeed, her letters to the Queen at 
this time are quite filled with pathetic references to the 
painful economy necessary to make ends meet. The 
children's clothes were made over by her own hands, 
and a little present of money from her mother came 
just in time to buy much-needed dining-room furni- 
ture. 

At the time when the Princess first began her phil- 
anthropic work she was only 21 years of age, though 
a wife and mother, and in the years which followed 
she founded four principal institutions, which exist 
to-day in Darmstadt and bear her beloved name. 
They are the Alice Hospital, the Asylum for Idiots, 
the Orphan Relief Association, and the Industrial 
School for Women. 

The poor we have always and everywhere with us. 
The Princess Alice found in her new home in Darm- 
stadt plenty of the work that had interested her so 
much in the old home in England. Writing home in 
March, 1864, she gives a very delightful picture of the 
work in which she was engaged. "I will tell you/' she 
says, "of something I did the other day, but please 
tell no one, because not a soul but Louis and my 
ladies know of it here. I am the patroness of the 
Heidenreich Stiftung. The ladies who belong to it 
go to bring linen to poor respectable v/omen in child- 
bed, who claim their assistance. They bring them 
food and help them. All cases are reported to me. 
The other day I went to one incog, with Christa, in the 
old parts of the town — and the trouble we had to find 



THE PRINCESS ALICE. 431 

the house! At length we found our way through a 
dirty courtyard, up a dark ladder into one little room, 
where lay, in one bed, the poor woman and her 
baby; in the room four other children, the husband, 
two beds and a stove. But it did not smell bad, nor 
was it dirty. I sent Christa down with the children, 
then, with the husband cooked something for the 
woman; arranged her bed a little, took her baby for 
her, bathed its eyes — for they were so bad, poor little 
thing! And did odds and ends for her. I went 
twice. The people did not know me, and were so 
nice, so good and touchingly attached to each other; 
it did one's heart good, to see such fine feelings in such 
poverty. The husband was out of work, the children 
too young to go to school, and they had only four 
Kreutzers in the house when she was confined. 
Think of the misery and discomfort! If one never 
sees any poverty, and always lives in that cold circle 
of Court people, one's good feelings dry up, and I 
felt the want of going about and doing the little good 
that was in my power. I am sure you will understand 
this. * * * Living with thinking, cultivated 
Germans, much in papa has explained itself to me, 
which formerly I could less understand." 

The War between Prussia and Austria in 1866 
brought exceeding sorrow to the Princess Alice. 
Her royal husband had gone to the War at a time 
when she needed most his gentle and thoughtful 
sympathy. It was impossible to get a scrap of news 
of him. If he was dead or dying, coming home in 
triumph or borne down in defeat, she could not tell. 
She could hear the roar of the distant guns, and the 
low cry of the new-born infant at her side, and per- 



,432 THE PRINCESS ALICE. 

chance the beating of her own sad heart, and that was 
all ! She had gone out to Frankfort, with other wives, 
who had gone also to see their husbands march to 
War. In mercy her husband was spared to her. 
Writing to the Queen after Peace was proclaimed, 
she says with exulting gratitude: *'When one has 
one's beloved husband by one's side, what is there in 
the world that is too heavy to bear?" The great 
mother-heart of the Queen echoed back her 
daughter's joy, and thanked God with her for the safe 
return of her beloved husband; but deeper down, the 
old anguish was revived as the royal widow remem- 
bered one who would come no more to help her glad- 
ness and to soothe her care. If there was a child- 
longing on the part of the Queen to clasp once more 
to her heart her beloved Alice, there was also a great 
home-sickness and a passionate mother-want on the 
part of the Princess Alice herself. How she longed 
for the beautiful hills and vales, the security, the 
; quietude and peace of her dear England with all its 
i sacred memories of joy and sorrow ! But the Princess 
: Alice was always a hero. She had duties at home 
that could not be set aside. The claims of the sorrow- 
ful around her were supreme. If God had been good 
to her, and brought back her husband triumphant 
from the War, there were women with pale wan 
faces, and eyes too sad for tears, all about her, whose 
husbands and sons and lovers would never come back 
again. To comfort these was her joy. The hospitals 
of Darmstadt were crowded with the wounded and 
dying, one of the saddest legacies of War. These the 
gracious Princess could not abandon. She exalted 



THE PRINCESS ALICE. 433 

duty to the highest throne and, like her Divine Master, 
she "went about doing good." 

The Queen had desired the presence of the Princess 
Ahce in England for a little while that they together 
might talk of all the days that had been, and of the 
hopes of coming years. But the Princess declined 
for the reason already stated, a reason that would be 
sufficient and satisfactory to the Queen, however dis- 
appointed she might be. But if Alice could not visit 
her royal mother she could pray for her, and the letter 
in which she tenderly explains why she cannot visit 
England just now, ends with a prayer which deserves 
to rank among the sweetest utterances of filial piety 
the world has ever heard. 

She died December 14, 1878, the seventeenth anni- 
versary of the death of her father. Her death was 
caused by diphtheria, contracted in nursing her chil- 
dren, who were ill with the disease. One of her 
daughters, the Princess Alix, is now the Czarina of 
Russia. 

Sir Theodore Martin was greatly impressed with 

the devotion of the Princess Alice to the cause of the 

suffering poor. "She inherited," he says, "much of 

her father's practical good sense, and like him, was 

ever ready to take part in any well directed effort for 

raising the condition of the toil-worn and the poor. 

Plow much of their misery, nay of their evil ways, was 

due to their wretched habitations, she, like him, felt 

most keenly, and she gave her sympathy and support 

to every effort for their improvement. With this view, 

she translated into German some of Miss Octavia 

Hill's essays on 'The Homes of the London Poor/ 

and pubUshed them with a little preface of her own, — 
28 



434 THE PRINCESS ALICE. 

to which only her initial, A., was afifixed — in the hope 
that the principles which had been successfully applied 
in London by Miss Hill and her coadjutors might be 
put in action in some of the German Cities." 



CHAPTER XXXL 



MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD. 

Prince Alfred Alexander William Ernest Albert, 
Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, first Duke of Edin- 
burg, K. G., K. T., K. P, G. C. S. I., G. C. M. G., 
G. C. V. O., was the second son of Queen Victoria 
and was born at Windsor Castle on August 6, 1844. 
He was educated by private tutors and prepared for 
the navy, which he entered in 1858 as a naval cadet 
on the steam frigate Euryalus. He served first in the 
Mediterranean, and later cruised afong the shores of 
America and in the West Indies. In 1862 he was 
offered the throne of Greece, which he declined. 

In 1866 Parliament granted him £15,000 a year, 
payable when he attained his majority, and an addi- 
tional £10,000 on his marriage. He was created 
Duke of Edinburg, Earl of Kent, and Earl of Ulster 
the same year, and took his seat in the House of Lords. 
He was sworn in Master of the Trinity House, and 
received the freedom of the City of London. In 1867 
he started on a tour of the world in command of the 
frigate Galatea, and visited nearly every country. At 
a picnic held at Clontarf, near Port Jackson, New 
South Wales, an attempt was made to assassinate him. 
His assailant was an Irishman named O'Farrell, who 
fired a shot at the Prince, wounding him in the back. 
O'Farrell was tried, found guilty, and executed. 

The Duke subsequently visited Japan, where he 
was received both publHcy and privately. by the 

485 



436 MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD. 

Mikado, and toured the interior of China and India. 
In 1873 he went to Italy and had. an audience with 
the Pope in Rome. The following year occurred his 
marriage with the Grand Duchess Marie Alexan- 
drovna, only daughter of Alexander II. The wedding 
occurred at St. Petersburg and was celebrated with 
great pomp. 

In March, 1874, the Duke and his wife, accom- 
pa;nied by the Queen, made public entry into London 
amid much popular enthusiasm. Their silver wed- 
ding was celebrated at Coburgin 1899. In 1882 the 
Duke was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral in 
the British navy and given various important com- 
mands. As commander of the Mediterranean squad- 
ron in 1888 he visited the chief continental capitals, 
and at Madrid was given the Order of the Golden- 
Fleece by the Queen Regent of Spain. He gave up 
his naval command in 1889. 

The Duke succeeded to the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg 
and Gotha on the death of his uncle in 1893, and took 
the oath of loyalty to the constitution in the presence 
of the German Emperor, to whom he later paid a 
State visit at Potsdam. He had the year before been 
made an honorary General of infantry in the German 
army. He kept up an estabhshment at Clarence 
House, England, and lived there a portion of every 
year, thus retaining the annuity of i 10,000 given 
him in 1873. The £15,000 annuity conferred upon him 
in 1866 was voluntarily relinquished upon his suc- 
cession to the Duchy, and as a foreign sovereign he 
ceased to be a Privy Councilor of Great Britain. 

In addition to being Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, 
he was Duke of Saxony, Duke of Juliers, Cleves, and 



MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD. 437 

Berg, of Engern and of Westphalia; Landgrave of 
Thuringia, Margrave of Misnie, Count of Henneberg, 
Count of Mark and of Ravensberg^ and Seigneur of 
Ravenstein and of Tonna Alt. 

His first child, and only son. Prince Albert, was 
born in 1874 and died in February of last year. Four 
daughters are still living, the eldest. Princess Marie, 
being the wife of the Crown Prince of Roumania; the 
second. Princess Victoria, the wife of the Grand Duke 
of Hesse; and the third. Princess Alexandra, the wife 
of Prince Ernest of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. The 
fourth, Princess Beatrice, born in 1878, is still 
unmarried. 

On the 31st of July, 1900, the Duke died at 
Rosenau Castle, Coburg. The specialist in attend- 
ance upon the Duke said that he suffered from cancer 
of the throat, besides other ailments, and was finally 
told that nothing could be done for him, and that 
he must within a short time succumb to the 
disease. 

The Duke was in a most depressed condition after 
the physician's opinion had been conveyed to him. 
It was believed that his life could be prolonged sev- 
eral weeks, but the Duke passed away under dis- 
tressing conditions. 

The Duke had been long ill. He first suffered a 
great breakdown and tried medicinal baths and a 
process of semi-starvation without good results. He 
returned to Rosenau Castle to die, hopeless of 
recovery. 

HELENA, PRINCESS CHRISTIAN. 

Helena, the Princess Christian of Schleswig-Hol- 
stein, is the fifth child, and deserves the title of royal 

29 



438 MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD. 

philanthropist. She was the first of the Queen's 
daughters to make her married home in England, ?ind 
royal Windsor claims the Princess almost wholly as 
its own. She was married there, and has lived in the 
heart of the Great Park for the thirty years which com- 
prise her married life. The royal town is alive with 
her charities, and the inhabitants, it need hardly be 
said, regard her with peculiar affection. She was born 
at Buckingham Palace, May 25, 1846. She has lived 
for the last thirty years at Cumberland Lodge in 
Windsor Forest. It is a beautiful and quiet place. 
It seems, indeed, typical of the quiet, simple, serene 
life which Prince and Princess Christian have elected 
to live — the Princess busy, in the first part of her 
married life, with the training of her little ones, and in 
later years absorbed in her philanthropies, while the 
Prince, who has the character of being one of the 
kindest and most unassuming of men, had the con- 
genial duties of ranger of the park to perform, and 
abundance of opportunity for following the pleasures 
of the chase. He is known throughout the country as 
a "great shot." 

There is probably no work which is so dear to the 
heart of Princess Christian as providing trained nurses 
for the poor, and it was she who in 1887 first started 
the idea in Windsor. Her Royal Highness has her- 
self sat by the bedside of those who were suffering, 
and tried to alleviate their pain and improve the sani- 
tary conditions of their surroundings, and in such 
matters she has a thorough practical experience, hav- 
ing made it a subject of special study. It would be 
difficult to find a more sympathetic or better qualified 
nurse than the Princess. She also takes great interest 



MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD. 489 

in the mission in the East End of London established 
by the Eton boys, and for the last three years has 
gone to Hackney Wick on boxing night and taken 
part in the annual entertainment. 

THE PRINCESS LOUISE, DUCHESS OF ARGYLE. 

The Princess Louise was born on the i8th of 
March, 1848, and was married to John, Marquis of 
Lome, now Duke of Argyle, in March, 1871. 

The "Scottish Princess" is a title by which the 
Queen's fourth daughter is frequently called, for since 
her marriage to the heir of the Argyles, Princess 
Louise has largely identified herself with her hus- 
band's country, and in time to come she will reign at 
Inverary, Queen of the Highlands, wife of the Chief- 
tain of the Clan Campbell. Her Majesty has often 
recalled with pleasure her remote descent from the 
Stuarts, and although it would be rather stretching 
a point to speak of her children as having Scottish 
blood in their veins, one may safely say that Princess 
Louise has shown that love for art and literature and 
that mingling of the democratic with the autocratic 
which is peculiarly Celtic. 

She is the artist of the family, and many creditable 
specimens of her work with brush and chisel have 
been shown. Some of her pictures were exhibited at 
the World's Fair. 

When in London the Princess enjoyed many little 
peeps into literary and artistic society at the Deanery 
of Westminster, with Dean Stanley as host, and she 
was frequently the companion of Princess Alice in her 
informal visits to celebrated people when she was 
staying in London. Together the sisters visited 



440 MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD. 

Motley the historian, and were frequently to be seen 
in the studios of celebrated artists. It is not often 
that one has to bring forward the Sage of Chelsea to 
bear testimony to a lady's charms, but Carlyle, in a 
letter to his sister, thus refers to Princess Louise at 
a literary gathering at Dean Stanley's, whither she 
had come with the Queen: "Decidedly a very pretty 
young lady, and clever, too, as I found out in talking 
to her afterward," This was in 1869, when the Prin- 
cess was twenty-one years of age. 

The wedding of the Princess was very popular in 
London. The Queen gave away the bride, vAio 
looked pale and handsome in her white satin and 
Honiton lace, and wore, in compliment to the bride- 
groom's country, sprigs of white heather among the 
orange blossoms and myrtle of her bridal wreath. 
The succeeding years of the Princess' married life 
passed without anything special to mark them, until 
in 1878 her husband was appointed Governor General 
of Canada, and she went out to share his Vice-Regal 
duties. To tell the truth. Lord Lome has been known 
as a dilettante, dabbling a little in literature and 
reform, conspicuous in neither. 

"The Princess is exceedingly sympathetic, merry, 
and light-hearted," writes Mr. Motley in 1877. "She 
has decided artistic talents, — draws, paints, and 
models, and does your likeness in a few sittings very 
successfully. Nobody could be a kinder or more 
graceful hostess." 

PRINCE ARTHUR, DUKE OF CONNAUGHT. 

Prince Arthur was born May ist, 1850. He was 
educated at Woolwich Military Academy, where he 



MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD. 441 

applied himself diligently to the rudiments of his pro- 
fession. The Duke is the seventh child of Queen 
Victoria and Prince Albert. He was born at Buck- 
ingham Palace, London, May i, 1850, and was 
promptly christened Arthur William Patrick Albert. 
His father and mother destined him from his birth to 
be the Commander-in-Chief of the British army, one 
of Prince Albert's cardinal maxims, which he 
impressed upon his wife, the Queen, being that the 
control of the army and navy should always be lodged 
in a member of the Royal Family. He was married 
in 1879 to Princess Louise Marguerite of Prussia, a 
daughter of the splendid soldier. Red Prince Fred- 
erick Charles, who served so gloriously with "Unser 
Fritz" in the Franco-Prussian War. 

In 1882 the Duke was in Egypt with General Sir 
Garnet Wolseley, and at the battle of Tel-el-Kebir 
fought against Arabi Pasha, heading a brigade of the 
Guards in the night march and assault on a very 
strong position. 

The Queen, who was at Balmoral, knew the battle 
was impending, and she wrote in her Journal: 

"How anxious we felt I cannot say, but we tried 
not to give way. I prayed earnestly for my darling 
child, and longed for the morrow to arrive. Read 
Korner's beautiful 'Prayer before the Battle,' — 'Father, 
I call on Thee.' My beloved husband used to sing 
it often. My thoughts were entirely fixed on Egypt 
and the coming battle. My nerves were strained to 
such a pitch by the intensity of my anxiety and sus- 
pense that they seemed to feel as if they were all 
alive." 



442 MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD. 

At last came a telegram announcing the victory, 
with a postscript from Sir Garnet: 

"Duke of Connaught is well. Behaved admirably, 
leading his brigade to the attack." 

"I carried it," says the Queen, "to Beatrice, where 
Louischen [the Duchess of Connaught] was, and I 
showed it to her, embracing her warmly, saying what 
joy and pride and sense of thankfulness it was to know 
our darling safe, and so much praised." 

PRINCE LEOPOLD, THE YOUNGEST SON. 

Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, the youngest son 
of Her Majesty^ was born on the 7th of April, 1853. 
He was delicate from his birth and committed to the 
care of General Gray. 

From his early boyhood he was an ardent searcher 
after knowledge, and his public utterances in maturer 
years invariably bore the distinct impress of an 
original mind. Most men in his position would have 
been sparing of exertion. In conspicuous contrast to 
his royal brothers, he was but indifferently fitted to 
endure the fatigues of public life. Yet, with that 
self-denying amiability which endeared him to the 
subjects of his august relative, he was always ready 
to take part in any scheme for giving them enjoyment 
or adding to their material advantage. 

Like his gifted father, and certainly in no diminished 
degree, he possessed the faculty of gathering infor- 
mation in unsuspected ways. His knowledge of the 
world, of politics, of commerce, and of the technical 
processes employed in various manufactures, was sur- 
prising in its exhaustiveness, considering how limited 
were his opportunities and how largely his time was 



MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD. 443 

devoted to intellectual pursuits. Recalling the fre- 
quency of his appearances in connection with cere- 
monies and institutions of widely divergent kinds, and 
the rare felicitousness which enabled him to say some- 
thing appropriate and original concerning all, the 
appellation of an Admiral Crichton is hardly unwar- 
ranted. But for the lack of constitutional robustness 
which debarred him from indulging in manly exer- 
cises, he would doubtless have made a more conspicu- 
ous figure in the world, but when his bodily infirmities 
are kept in view the energy of character which enabled 
him to achieve so much is worthy of the highest 
admiration. 

Prince Leopold's love of music and his desire for 
the spread of musical education among the people 
were very great. On these subjects he was quite as 
eloquent and quite as judicious in his remarks, and 
quite as practical in suggestiveness, as when speaking 
on education of the ordinary commercial and classical 
kind. On December 12th, 1881, he took part in a 
soiree at Manchester for the purpose of urging the 
establishment of a Royal College of Music in this 
country, similar to the Conservatoire in France, and 
in an address dwelt on the power of music, of the 
general culture of the science of early English music, 
of the glee writers, of the progress of music in this 
country as compared to that of Germany, and other 
topics, all of which he dealt with in an exhaustive 
manner and in a way which showed that he was no 
superficial dilettante with the subject. 

Prince Leopold was a great favorite with Dean 
Stanley. It is said that at one time he contemplated 
becoming a clergyman. There is nothing improbably 



444 MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD. 

in this, but even if the story be not true it is undeniable 
that the Prince was always of a reverent disposition 
in regard to sacred things, and loved to talk about 
them. Church music, too, was delightful to him, and 
some of the happiest hours of his boyhood were spent 
in learning to play on the harmonium and to sing 
favorite hymns. In after years Dean Stanley dedicated 
to him a beautiful poem, "The Untraveled Traveler." 
The purport of it was that the Prince had in his ill- 
nesses journeyed many times near to the bourne 
whence "no traveler returns," but had always returned 
in safety; and the poem was, further, written as a 
consolation to one who had pined so much for travel, 
but had been repeatedly disappointed by ill-health of 
projected journeys. The only complaint which physi- 
cal weakness ever drew from the young patient was 
caused by the disabilities under which he labored in 
respect of travel. During part of his boyhood he lived 
at Greenwich, and he would often go and look with 
longing eyes at the ships sailing down the river. But, 
variable as the English climate is, and pernicious as 
cold winds were to the delicate Prince, it was not felt 
prudent to gratify his yearnings for rambles in those 
sunny southern lands of which he read so much and 
so wistfully. 

The time came when his health improved a little, 
and in 1872 he was sent to Oxford. He matriculated 
at Christ Church, but he spent most of his time after- 
wards with Tutor at Wykeham House, on the confines 
of the city of Oxford. 

PRINCESS BEATRICE. 

Princess Beatrice, the youngest daughter of the 
Queen, was born on the 14th of April, 1857. She was 



MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD. 445 

only four years of age when the Prince Consort died. 
She has Uved to be, more than any other member of 
the royal family, the comfort and companion of her 
mother's widowed age. 

Princess Beatrice was fifteen years of age when the 
marriage of Princess Louise to the Marquis of 
Lome left her the only unmarried English Princess. 
Although ten years had passed since the death of the 
Prince Consort, the Queen still led as retired and 
quiet a life as her official duties would permit, and 
her young daughter shared but little in the amuse- 
ments and innocent gayeties which generally fall to 
the lot of happy childhood. She was most carefully 
educated, and soon became an admirable linguist, 
while from her father she inherited a distinct gift for 
music, fostered and developed to the utmost extent. 
Her first public appearance took place on the day 
when she accompanied the Queen to St. Paul's, to 
take part in the thanksgiving service held after the 
Prince of Wales' terrible illness; and since that event- 
ful occasion she has been her royal mother's constant 
companion, both in public and private. So entirely 
was the world accustomed to seeing Her Royal High- 
ness in this capacity that the announcement of her 
betrothal was somewhat of a shock. 

Princess Beatrice first made the intimate acquaint- 
ance of her future husband when she accompanied 
her mother to Hesse-Darmstadt in order to be present 
at the marriage of her niece, Princess Victoria of 
Hesse, to Prince Louis of Battenberg. 

The engagement of Prince Henry and Princess 
Beatrice was announced on New Year's eve, 1884, 
but it was at once clearly stated that the Queen had 



446 MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD. 

only given her consent subject to the condition that 
her daughter's fiance should become a naturalized 
British subject, and should adopt England and the 
British court as his permanent home. 

The marriage was considered an unfortunate one, 
Prince Henry not having a penny to bless himself, 
nor particularly brilliant qualities of mind. The mar- 
riage, however, seems to have been a happy one. 

Unfortunately, Prince Henry insisted upon taking 
part in the Ashantee campaign. He caught fever and 
died January 20th, 1896, and was sincerely mourned 
by the royal family and the English people. The 
Princess has four children. She was recently appointed 
Governor of the Isle of Wight. 

Queen Victoria's children and grandchildren now 
occupy the principal thrones of Europe. The Emperor 
of Germany is her grandson, the child of the Empress 
Frederick; the Czarina is the daughter of the Princess 
Alice of Hesse. The Queen has sixty-six direct 
descendants. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 



THE PASSING OF LEOPOLD. 

Before the dawning of the morning on the 28th of 
March, 1884, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, passed 
from the weakness and suffering of his brief life into 
the land of silence and eternal peace. 

He had been living at Cannes for a few weeks. A 
slight accident overtook him in the afternoon of the 
28th, and in the morning he was dead. 

The sad news reached Windsor at noon. Her 
Majesty was thoroughly prostrated with grief, so 
much so that all the Castle were most anxious about 
her condition. However, after a most painful ebulli- 
tion of grief she seemed to rally, and the paroxysm 
of weeping ceased. Her first thought was for her 
daughter-in-law, the Duchess of Albany, who was at 
Claremont with the infant daughter of the marriage. 
Shortly before five o'clock the ex-Empress Eugenie 
arrived at the Castle, clad in the deepest mourning, 
and was received by one of the officers of the Castle, 
also in mourning, as were the drivers of the royal 
carriage which conveyed her Imperial Majesty. The 
ex-Empress was weeping as she drove up to the 
Castle, and all hats were raised as she passed, as it 
was felt that no more sympathetic heart than hers 
could essay the task of assuaging the Queen's bitter 
grief. 

The Empress Eugenie left the Castle about seven 
o'clock, and informed a few privileged inquirers, be- 

447 



448 THE PASSING OF LEOPOLD. 

tween frequent sobs, that the Queen bore up wonder- 
fully considering the great bereavement she had 
suffered. She had received the Empress in her arms 
and had derived consolation from the earnest sym- 
pathy so delicately tendered. Her Majesty appeared 
to obtain relief by giving vent to her grief in the 
presence of one who had herself suffered so much. 

The sad news was received at the little village of 
Esher with the greatest regret. The Duke, during 
the short time he had lived at Claremont, had taken 
the greatest interest in all that concerned his neigh- 
bors, and by his geniality and good heartedness had 
made himself not only popular but greatly loved by 
all the inhabitants for miles round. It was only a 
few weeks prior to his untimely death that he was 
singing at a concert for a local charity, and is said to 
have stepped back on to the platform with the greatest 
readiness in response to an encore. While staying at 
Claremont, he was constantly seen driving his dog- 
cart through the village, and it is said that he was 
usually accompanied by his infant daughter and her 
nurse, his destination being in a good many instances 
the studio of Mr. Williamson, the sculptor, who was 
engaged on the bust of his child. 

Prince Leopold was a great favorite with the Prince 
of Wales, who went to Cannes to bring home the 
body of his youngest brother for interment. The 
funeral, which took place on the 5th of April, with 
solemn pomp at St. George's Chapel, Windsor, was 
conducted under the superintendence and care of the 
Queen and the Prince of Wales. 

The Duke of Albany v/as a very good speaker. The 
first time he was heard in public, speaking on an 




CORONATION CHAIR AND STONE OF DESTINY, 



THE PASSING OF LEOPOLD. 449 

important occasion — a Trinity House dinner — his 
utterances took his hearers by surprise. With a hand- 
some, placid face, perfect self-possession, an easy 
delivery, and a good choice of expressions, he stood 
out at once as a speaker of mark. His speeches 
revealed culture. There was nothing commonplace 
in them; even in returning thanks for his health on 
occasions where he was not expected to say much, he 
said what little was necessary in a graceful and appro- 
priate manner without either dififidence or presump- 
tion. 

We are glad to be able to present one or two 
examples of his oratory which may serve as a tribute 
to the memory of this wise and thoughtful Prince. 

One of the most remarkable speeches ever made 
by His Royal Highness, a speech remembered to this 
day with loyal pride by those who heard it, was in 
connection with the opening of the Nottingham 
University College. The cost of the buildings of 
the educational institute was $500,000; provision was 
made for 1,400 students. , 

Prince Leopold opened the college on the 30th of 
June, 1881. The success of the event, and the enthu- 
siasm with which the Prince was received, marked a 
grand educational epoch in the good old loyal town of 
Nottingham. At the luncheon, served after the formal 
inspection and opening of the building. His Royal 
Highness, in the course of an eloquent speech, pro- 
posed the toast of "Success to the University College 
of Nottingham," and in the course of a thoughtful 
and interesting address, said: 

"When we consider the manner in which the noble 
building was founded, and the various objects which 

29 



450 THE PASSING OF LEOPOLD. 

it is intended to advance, I think we have reason for 
very deep satisfaction; very confident hope. First in 
the work of founding it came the anonymous donor 
with $50,000. I don't know who he may be, but I 
envy him his feelings if he is present here to-day to 
see on what good ground his seed was sown. Then 
there were other benefactors also, and, gentlemen, I 
hope and trust that the list of the benefactors of the 
new college is not even yet closed. Next came the 
helpful energy that was thrown into the scheme by 
the University of Cambridge, and especially by one 
member of that university, whose name is well known 
to all those who are interested in the higher education 
of this country — I mean Professor James Stuart. I 
ought to say there comes, lastly, and this is the most 
important fact of all, that your wealthy town herself 
heartily took up the matter, and resolved to complete 
and maintain the great institution in a manner worthy 
of her wealth and of her public spirit. I did not 
realize, gentlemen, until this morning how many 
objects the college is meant to serve, and how well 
it has been fitted to fill them all. I admire the Free 
Library, an excellent example to other towns which 
have not yet provided their citizens with that great 
advantage. I admire, also, the spacious rooms in 
which you have housed your Museum for Natural 
History. That was well worthy of doing, for the 
value of a museum depends largely on the manner 
in which its collection is shown. I may here mention 
with what pleasure I have heard that the valuable and 
beautiful collection which my friend Mr. Ruskin pre- 
sented to your neighbors at Sheffield, and which I 
admired in his small museum there two years ago, 



THE PASSING OF LEOPOLD, 451 

is now to be more properly housed. I hope you, too, 
will receive many gifts, now that the donors know 
their treasures will be well seen and fully appreciated. 
But your great building is above all things a college, 
a center for the higher education of the men and 
women of Nottingham. I hope, gentlemen, that you 
will not let the teaching which you will give become 
too excessively technical. You will remember that 
many of your students will need from you, not so 
much that you should help them in their daily work, 
but that you should teach them to rise above it — that 
you should open to them wider vistas and make them 
capable of new joys. But technical teaching is prom- 
inently included, and I hope that the teaching which 
you will give will do as much good to the other indus- 
tries of Nottingham as the Art School has already 
done for your designers in arts. 

"There is another great advantage in thorough 
technical training which must not be overlooked. 
When a man learns anything thoroughly it teaches 
him to respect what he learns. It teaches him to 
delight in his task for his own sake, and not for the 
sake of pay or reward. The happiness of our Uves 
depends less on the actual value of the work which 
we do than on the spirit in which we do it. If a man 
tries to do the simplest and humblest work as well as 
he possibly can he will be interested in it — he will be 
proud of it. But if, on the other hand, he only thinks 
of what he can get by his work, then the highest work 
will soon become wearisome. I hope that your college 
will send forth many men so trained to do good and 
honest work, that to do work which was bad or dis- 
honest shall become simply impossible to them. Men 



ib2 THE PASSING OF LEOPOLD. 

such as these will be proud of their trade and proud 
of their town. And I do not beheve, gentlemen, that 
we become better citizens of the world by being indif- 
ferent to the interest or honor of our town or our 
nation. I believe a narrow patriotism is the surest 
way to lead us to the broader, and the better citizen 
a man of Nottingham the better citizen will he be 
of England, and that the truest citizens of England 
will become the best citizens of the world. Then it 
is when a man has lived for others, and has worked 
for public ends, that the good which he has done is 
not interred with his bones. No, it lives after him, 
ajid in the words of the proud motto of your ancient 
Corporation, Vivis post funera virtus." 

On February 19th, 1879, the London society for 
the extension of the university held a meeting at the 
Mansion House, when His Royal Highness the Duke 
of Albany made the following speech: 

"To all Englishmen, I think, it is gratifying to feel 
that the institutions of which we are so proud are not 
mere dead systems, but living organisms which can 
expand under new circumstances and meet new needs 
as they arise. Few English institutions have been the 
objects of so long and so wide a reverence as our 
Universities, and yet there was a time when they 
seemed to be falling out of harmony with the needs 
of the age. That reproach, I think, can no longer be 
urged against them. We may fairly claim that of late 
they have taken the lead in all the most important 
educational reforms. We sometimes hear compari- 
sons made between German and English universities, 
not always to the advantage of the latter. I have no 
means of making any such comparison, as my experi- 



THE PASSING OF LEOPOLD. 453 

ence of universities is confined to the University of 
Oxford; but I shall always look back to my residence 
at Oxford as one of the greatest pleasures and the 
greatest privileges of my life, and I should find it hard 
to believe that any other university can surpass 
Oxford in the power of attracting her alumni to 
herself. 

"There is, however, one advantage possessed by 
German universities which must strike everybody. 
They diffuse knowledge throughout a much wider 
class of the community than Oxford or Cambridge 
have hitherto reached. Learning in England has been 
too much regarded as the privilege of a particular 
class. 

"A very strong spirit has arisen in these old seats 
of learning. I cannot call it a spirit of benevolence, 
for these lectures are in no way a work of charity, 
and will, it is hoped, be self-supporting after the first 
few years. But it is a spirit of active sympathy with 
the wants and wishes of a very large class, whose 
needs in the direction of higher education have been 
too long ignored." 

Prince Leopold's lesson from Ruskin, and the spirit 
which we can trace as the actuating motive of the 
young speaker's earnestness, were very finely evinced 
in the beauty and truth of his suggestion, "that the 
highest wisdom and the highest pleasure need not 
be costly or exclusive, but may be almost as cheap 
and as free as air, and that the greatness of a nation 
must be measured, not by her wealth or apparent 
power, but by the degree in which all her people have 
learnt to gather from the world of books, of art, of 
nature, a pure and ennobling joy." 



4M THE PASSING OF LEOPOLD. 

On Saturday, January 20th, 1884, within three 
months of his death, Prince Leopold made the great- 
est of all his speeches. It was worthy to be described 
as the "princeliest of his princely orations." We make 
no apology for presenting this address verbatim et 
literatim. A careful study of this speech will serve 
to show how much England lost in the untimely 
departure of this illustrious Prince. 

The occasion of the address was the annual distri- 
bution of scholarships and awards of the Liverpool 
Council of Education. 

His Royal Highness said: 

"The objects vsrhich the Liverpool Council of Edu- 
cation aims at are so numerous and so praiseworthy, 
that any one who is called upon to deliver an address 
on such an occasion as this may well be perplexed 
as to what special topic he shall choose for his 
remarks. Some topics, indeed, must recur every year 
— cordial congratulations to the council on the good 
work which it is achieving and hearty welcome and 
encouragement to the boys and girls who have won 
your scholarships and prizes and certificates of honor. 
But beyond this expression of pleasure and sympathy 
there is a wide field open for praise or comment. 
Perhaps, it may be best if I try to avoid the themes 
on which previous speakers on these occasions have 
dwelt at length, and say something on other aspects 
of your benevolent work which have received rather 
less attention. 

'T will first remark then how gratifying it is to 
find a group of influential men, who have united 
themselves in a kind of voluntary association to aid 
in carrying out the law of the land, to teach those 



THE PASSING OF LEOPOLD. 455 

whom the law affects for good to derive the full 
benefit from its provisions, and gently to persuade 
into compliance some whom it might otherwise have 
been needful to compel. We Englishmen may fairly 
point with satisfaction to the way in which, in the 
matter of education, we have combined the advant- 
ages of central with those of local authority, and 
managed to bend the inflexibility of general rules to 
the needs of each particular case. And this is illus- 
trated by the cordial relations in which you have stood 
with successive presidents and vice-presidents of the 
Committee of Council for Education, and with Sir 
Francis Sandford, whose recent removal to other 
duties will doubtless be felt by many friends of educa- 
tion throughout the country as a personal loss. For, 
indeed, you, and bodies like you, are the best allies 
which the Education Department can possess. You 
are securing by your own gentle methods the attend- 
ance at school which the law makes compulsory, and 
you are thus setting the law before your fellow towns- 
men in the Hght in which law shows to most advant- 
age — namely, as the persuasion of the best and wisest 
backed by the force of all. And I am very glad you 
find persuasion so powerful an incentive, and honor 
so attractive a reward. 

"One sometimes hears it hinted, or assumed, that 
the poor can only be acted upon by pecuniary induce- 
ments. It is surely better to appeal, as your certifi- 
cates appeal, to a spirit of nobler emulation; and I 
believe that if we rightly awaken this thirst for 
approval in early boyhood, we shall be rewarded by a 
citizen's virtues when the boy has grown to a man. 
And we must all feel anxious that this approval should 



456 THE PASSING OF LEOPOLD. 

be felt as a reality — that the mother who goes without 
her girl's help at home that she may mind her school- 
ing, or the boy who trudges hungry to his lesson 
instead of trying to earn a meal in the streets, should 
feel that our praise is no empty form of words, but a 
heartfelt sympathy; that we realize their difficulties 
and temptations; that we recognize that they have 
shown a self-denial and an energy which we in their 
places might find it hard to imitate. But although it 
is well that we should sometimes hold out to the poor 
rewards of honor only, I do not mean that we should 
be quite satisfied if we came to giving out proteges 
nothing but praise because we had nothing else to 
give them. 

"Your subscription list, if I may venture to allude 
to this part of the report, scarcely seems adequate 
to the occasion. Where a very few men do so much 
and so many men, who might, perhaps, if they gave 
their attention to the matter, be equally liberal, do 
little or nothing, one fears that further allusion to 
this subject might wound the modesty of the few with- 
out giving any particular pleasure to the many. I will 
only express my entire concurrence in the Bishop of 
Durham's admirable address to you in 1879, ^^^ ^^Y 
satisfaction at the thought that a large installment 
of what he then described to you as his Utopian dream 
has become a reality in your University College. I 
come now to another point in your programme on 
which I am anxious to say a few words — I mean the 
help and encouragement which you offer to the teach- 
ing of cookery in elementary schools. It may very 
likely be the case that the schools which are willing 
to teach cookery are for the most part in the better 



THE PASSING OF LEOPOLD. 457 

quarters of the town, where children come from neat 
and comfortable homes. Now, for such children cook- 
ery is a useful accomplishment, and I wish them all 
success in acquiring it. But it is not with those com- 
paratively well-to-do children that my main interest 
in this matter lies. What I desire to see is cookery 
taught in the most ragged schools, in the most 
wretched quarters. This cookery, of course, should 
be of the simplest, plainest kind; but it should be such 
as to show that with the coarsest material and the 
cheapest apparatus a neat, clean, and thrifty manager 
may set before a hungry man a meal which he may 
eat with pleasure, and with no need to resort to the 
public-house to wash down an unpalatable and indi- 
gestible mess. Amid all the dirt, vice, and misery of 
which your council and your clergy and other public- 
spirited men speak so often and with such deep sad- 
ness, I think that the success of your Liverpool coffee 
taverns forms a bright spot. 

"Now, I should like to see the system of coffee 
taverns greatly extended, and see the cookery lessons 
in schools working in with it. I should like to see a 
rapid lift given to the standard of cleanliness and care 
in the preparation of food in the poorest homes. I 
should like to see meals which are now mere scram- 
bles becoming points of real family union, occasions 
for showing forethought and kindliness and self- 
respect, where circumstances make this too difficult. 
***** 

"This is a point of view which I can never quite 
understand, I cannot understand how a man can feel 
himself so separate from his fellow creatures as to think 



458 THE PASSING OF LEOPOLD. 

that the pleasures which are quite worth his attention 
in his own case can become mere superfluous triviali- 
ties in the case of the poor men and women and chil- 
dren who have so few pleasures in all their lives. 
I would rather say that we may desire that the poor 
should have whatever innocent enjoyment we can 
provide for them, so long as we do not encourage 
them to claim as a right that which is not a right. 

"And therefore it is that whenever we see our way, 
consistently with sound economical principles, to do 
something obviously kind and pleasant for the poor 
we ought eagerly to take the opportunity; we ought 
to think nothing trivial or sentimental which may 
persuade them that we wish them well, and may help 
the one class to understand the other. A mutual 
understanding of class and class — that, surely is what 
we need. And I trust that these bright boys and girls 
may themselves do much for this end. They have 
begun to rise, from different levels no doubt, but some 
I hope from the lowest. They will rise higher still; 
but I am confident that however high they rise they 
will remember that they found those on the steps 
above them eager to help them up and not to keep 
them down. There has not always been this willing- 
ness to encourage onward efifort; there have been 
times and there have been countries when — 

Those behind cried "Forward," 
And those in front cried "Back." 

But in our age and in our country it is not so. Those 
whom Providence has placed in the front ranks of this 



THE PASSING OF LEOPOLD. 459 

great nation are desirous that those behind them 
should move onward as swiftly as they can, for we 
have learnt that along the ways of wisdom and virtue 
we shall all advance furthest if we advance together." 
It is no secret that he placed his services at the 
disposal of Ministers as successor to the Marquis of 
Lome in the Governor-Generalship of the Dominion, 
and that it was from no misgiving as to his adminis- 
trative capacity that the offer was not promptly availed 
of. Of his popularity among the Canadian Colonists 
there could have been no question. Some admirers 
of His Royal Highness brought the subject before 
the House of Commons last session in the shape of 
an interrogatory addressed to Ministers, and it was 
then elicited that considerations entirely unconnected 
with his individuality had made it expedient to look 
elsewhere. There are obvious reasons indeed why 
such an appointment might not altogether justify 
expectation. Ireland was in a state of anarchy at the 
time, and the geographical situation of Canada was 
peculiarly favorable to the development of plots 
against constituted authority. The Marquis of Lome, 
popular as his sway undoubtedly was, was not alto- 
gether exempt from the discomforts which were the 
common lot of high-placed officials in those stirring 
times. It is not improbable that the fate of the Prince 
Imperial in South Africa, and the cry of indignation 
which uprose against those who had suffered him to 
join an expedition beset with perils, influenced the 
decision of Mr. Gladstone when the appointment of 
the Duke of Albany was broached. No Minister with 
a regard for his reputation would have cared to assume 
the responsibility of sending a delicate Prince to brave 



460 THE PASSING OF LEOPOLD. 

the rigors of a Canadian winter, not to speak of the 
"treasons, stratagems, and spoils" directed against the 
persons of prominent public men in that troubled 
period. But, once the circumstances had been placed 
in their true light, there was a cheerful disposition to 
accept the will for the deed, and to respect His Royal 
Highness for the motives which had induced him to 
make an ofifer involving a complete surrender of his 
personal ease. He was ever ready, indeed, to take his 
full share of the burdens of life, although physical 
frailty and the absence of any incentive to arduous 
exertion might have formed an ample plea upon which 
to avoid all active participation in public ceremonials. 

Mr. Disraeli paid a very high tribute to the House 
of Commons. He said: 

"The delicate state of health of Prince Leopold has 
prevented him from adopting a profession which in 
the instance of his royal brothers has been followed, 
T may say, by them with energy and success. Partly 
from that state of health, and in a greater degree 
probably from difference of temperament, his pursuits 
are of a different character from those of princes who 
are called upon to deal with armies and fleets. Prince 
Leopold is a student, and of no common order. He 
is predisposed to pursuits of science and learning, and 
to the cultivation of those fine arts which adorn life 
and lend luster to a nation. It would, however, be a 
great error to suppose that for a young prince of his 
character there may not be an eminent career, and one 
most useful to his country. The influence of an 
exalted personage of fine culture is incalculable upon 
a community. No more complete and rare example 
of that truth can be shown than in the instance of his 



THE PASSING OF LEOPOLD. 461 

illustrious father, the Prince Consort. We can now 
contemplate the pubHc labors of the Prince Consort 
with something of the candor of posterity. He refined 
the tastes, he multiplied the enjoyments, and he ele- 
vated the moral sense of the great body of the people. 
Nor has this influence ceased since he departed from 
us. Public opinion has maintained the impulse it gave 
to our civilization, because it sympathized with it. It 
has maintained in the highest degree that great 
improvement which he introduced in the manners and 
the sentiments of the great body of the people. The 
examples of such a father will guide and animate 
Prince Leopold; and, therefore, I hope I may make 
this motion which I have read to the House in answer 
to the gracious and confident appeal the Queen has 
made to the attachment of her faithful Commons." 

Mr. Gladstone, following in the same strain, referred 
to the large intelligence, the cultivated mind, and the 
refined pursuits of the Prince and of his capacity to 
tread in the steps of his illustrious father. Although 
regarded by some as mere stock utterance, ''pleasant 
words lightly spoken," as became well-trained cour- 
tiers, events have proved them to be words of sober- 
ness and truth, and showed the foresight and discern- 
micnt of the speaker: 

"In the Prince," said Mr. Gladstone, "we had one 
who had every encouragement to live a life of luxury 
and ease — a position of the highest, all that he could 
desire in the way of comforts, a princely position with- 
out its unenviable responsibilities, and all this imbued 
with a naturally feeble constitution. And yet he chose 
to study, and to devote his best energies to the welfare 
of his country; to assisting in the noble work of the 



462 THE PASSING OF LEO]POLD. 

spread of education among the people, to the incul- 
cating habits of thrift and sobriety, to the cultivation 
of the virtues, and to teaching by precept and practice 
how true happiness might be obtained. His position 
gave him responsibilities. These he realized to the 
fullest extent^ and performed the duties of a prince in 
a princely manner." 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



THE CONDITION OF IRELAND. 

There is no sadder, no fairer spot on the face of 
the earth than the beautiful Emerald Isle. Ireland 
has been called, with as much of poetry as of truth, 
"The Niobe of Nations." If the glorious sunlight on 
her hills and vales and countless lakes tells of the 
sunny heart and genial nature of Ireland, so too, the 
dewdrops on her Shamrock leaves are emblems of 
her tears. 

Her sons and daughters tell us that for seven 
centuries she has been the victim of oppression and 
wrong. Her ardent friends declare that no nation 
under heaven has been worse governed, and that by a 
government that claims to rule in righteousness, and 
to direct all affairs according to the rules of ever- 
lasting righteousness. 

The heart of the Queen was sore distressed for her 
troubled people. The main purpose we have in view 
is not to discuss at length the causes of Ireland's sor- 
rows, or to suggest a cure. We shall the rather find 
pleasure in recording those pleasant visits Her 
Majesty paid to her loyal Irish subjects ; and while 
glancing through the eyes of others at the sorrows 
of this fair land, we shall note some honorable efforts 
made to alleviate her sorrows. 

"The original condition of the Irish peasantry," 
says a writer on Ireland, "was not that of owners of 

463 



464 THE CONDITION OF IRELAND. 

the soil. A few hereditary chiefs (or kings, as they 
called themselves), having the power of life and death, 
ruled the whole lower population as absolutely as a 
king in Central Africa. English law raised the peas- 
antry from this condition, and gave them the rights 
of Englishmen; but no law on earth could give them 
equal industry, prudence, or perseverance. The Eng- 
lish settlers grew rich, the Irish peasants continued 
savage and poor. They robbed, murdered, and 
rebelled ; were put down by the strong hand, and after 
every outbreak they were punished by finding more 
and more of the soil of Ireland pass into the hands of 
those who supported the rule of the English in that 
country. Not, however, that these 'lands' consisted 
of fertile fields, dotted with smiling villages. They 
were mostly vast green swamps, uncrossed by roads. 
The Celtic Irish never cultivated any arts, never car- 
ried on any commerce, never devoted themselves to 
agriculture." 

The Duke of Wellington, in the debate on the intro- 
duction of the Irish Poor Law, May 2ist, 1838, said: 

"There never was a country in which poverty existed 
to so great a degree as it exists in Ireland. I held a 
high situation in that country thirty years ago, and 
I must say from that time to this there has scarcely 
elapsed a single year in which the Government has 
not at certain periods of it entertained the most serious 
apprehensions of actual famine. I am firmly con- 
vinced that from the year 1806 down to the present 
time, a year has not passed in which the Government 
have been called upon to give assistance to relieve 
the poverty and distress which prevailed in Ireland." 

What was the matter with Ireland? Mr. S. C. Hall 



THE CONDITION OF IRELAND. 465 

talks of strange scenes. He saw many "a tall grand 
iron gate leading to a field of thistles; the master in 
the big mansion was making punch in a house that 
let the rain in, and giving a dinner and a ball before 
the walls were firm or the wainscots painted; and 
putting a fine tester-bed in the best room, where my 
lady might catch cold in state in the midst of yawning 
chimneys, creaking window-sashes and steaming 
plaster." There were crowds of ragged children, 
young men and young women in shameless indecent 
attire — if it could be called attire — and tramps aplenty 
almost too lazy to beg. Streets of miserable cabins, 
with miserable, aimless people lolling at the doors, 
staring at the passer-by as they combed their tangled 
hair, or smoked their black dudeens, while the almost- 
naked rolled and played with the pigs and chickens 
in the gutters. But why all this? As Thackeray 
asked : "Are we to set all this down to absenteeism 
and pity poor, injured Ireland? Is the landlord's 
absence the reason why the house is filthy and Biddy 
lolls in the porch all day? Upon my word I have 
heard people talk as if, when Pat's thatch was blown 
ofif, the landlord ought to fetch the straw and the 
ladder and mend it himself." 

A tramp through the west or south of Ireland in 
these days would sadden a heart of stone. Every- 
where, armies of paupers and beggars; homeless, 
ragged and dirty; without ambition, without hope, 
and it would seem almost without a friend. As Mr. 
Wall says: "Indolence and neglect were written 
everywhere — in fields overgrown with weeds, in fish- 
eries unworked, in harbors deserted, in road hidden 
beneath the grass and weeds, in towns of hovels, and 

80 



466 THE CONDITION OF IRELAND. 

in families packed and wedged into cabins of mud 
and turf which in England would not be thought good 
enough for pigs." 

The Irishman was disposed to regard the potato 
his only hope and salvation, but Sir William Temple 
called the potato "Ireland's curse/' "because," he said, 
"it enabled the people to live for weeks on two days' 
labor, and thus, by encouraging idleness, ruined the 
nation." 

The year 1847 saw the climax of the misery caused 
by the potato famine in Ireland, where thousands were 
dying of starvation and its attendant fever. The har- 
vest in Great Britain had been bad, and the poor both 
in England and Scotland were suffering ; but all classes 
united to help the Irish. A subscription was opened 
at once — in fact many subscriptions — the Queen 
heading the national list with thousands. Her Majesty 
also ordered secondary flour to be used in her kitchen; 
and the rich gave up tarts and pies, and limited the 
consumption of bread and flour in their households. 
A government grant of a million was made to give 
employment to the people by reclaiming waste land, 
half the amount being spent in buying good potato 
seed for sowing. The suffering, the charity, were alike 
extreme. Every day two millions of rations were given 
to the starving people, chiefly of rice and Indian meal. 
It has been said "organized armies had been rationed 
before, but neither ancient nor modern history can 
furnish a parallel to the fact that upwards of three 
millions of persons were fed every day in the neigh- 
borhood of their own homes by arrangements con- 
trolled by one central office." 

At the close of the famine Ireland was found to have 
lost by it (and by the emigration is caused) two 



THE CONDITION OF IRELAND. 467 

millions of her population. The Queen, when reading 
her speech on opening Parliament, was evidently 
affected when alluding to it; indeed, her heart had 
bled for her Irish subjects. 

In the July of 1848 Ireland was in a state of partial 
insurrection. Thousands of men had, it was known, 
been drilling by night, and numbers of pikes had been 
purchased. The rebels were led by Mr. Smith O'Brien, 
whom they called "King of Munster," and the whole 
island was ripe for revolt. But the Government acted 
with decision. A Crime and Outrage Act was passed; 
a large military force was concentrated in the most 
diaffected districts; and warships were stationed at 
Cork and Waterford, which could have swept the 
streets with their cannon. Cowed by the firmness of 
the Government, and perceiving, in spite of all the 
incendiary oratory to which they had Hstened, that 
they were powerless to contend with the might of 
Britain, the rebels began to draw off, and only a few 
thousands followed Smith O'Brien in his attack on the 
town at Ballingarry. These attacked a house in which 
forty-seven policemen had taken shelter, but were 
received with such vigor by the police that they dis- 
persed as soon as two were killed and a few wounded. 
O'Brien, thus deserted, wandered about the country 
for several days, but was at last recognized by a rail- 
way employe and arrested, as were also Meagher and 
the other leaders. They were tried for high treason 
and condemned to death, but their sentence was com- 
muted to penal servitude for life. 

Ireland has never had a truer friend or a more able 
advocate than the Right Hon. John Bright. He had 
a divine faculty for getting at the true condition of 
things, — especially as it related to the poor. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 



ROYAL VISITS TO IRELAND. 

I 

There was a strong and unanimous feeling among 
Her Majesty's Ministers that a Royal visit to Ireland 
would have at least a good moral effect. It might not 
effect any great material good, but at least it would 
close the mouths of blatant discontents who were 
ready enough with the charge that "neither the 
Queen nor the Government cared a straw whether 
Ireland was ruined by poverty or rotted in famine." 
Wherever the Queen had hitherto shown her genial, 
kindly face, the result had invariably been the deep- 
ening of the love and loyalty of the people. And so 
it came to pass that on the first of August, 1849, ^^^ 
Majesty, accompanied by Her Royal Consort, the 
Princess Royal, and the Prince of Wales, visited 
Ireland. Some faint-hearted people feared there 
might be danger ahead. What if the life of the Queen 
should be assailed? There are everywhere prophets 
of ill, who seem to think the sun's chief work is to 
scorch, that fire can only burn, and water can only 
drown. The truth is. Her Majesty has never met a 
more cordial welcome anywhere than on her visits 
to Ireland, from her first visit in 1849 to her latest 
visit in 1900. 

But to return to this first visit. It was ten o'clock 
in the evening when the Royal party neared the land, 
and saw before them the little town of Cove peering 

468 



ROYAL VISITS TO IRELAND. 469 

through the mists to the sea, from its simple, irregular 
terraces. 

The little fishing village, and all the hills that lay- 
about and beyond, sent forth a loyal welcome. Signal 
fires blazed on every height, and the stars were hidden 
or forgotten in the thousands of rockets that went 
hissing up to the heavens, and then descending in 
showers of glittering splendor. Every ship in the 
harbor was trim and beautiful with bunting and with 
banners, and the cannon's thunderous welcome was 
heard far out at sea, and reverberated among the dis- 
tant hills. 

Early on the following morning a deputation, con- 
sisting of the Marquis of Thomond, the Earl of Bran- 
don, the Mayor of Cork, and its representative in Her 
Majesty's House of Commons, boarded the royal 
yacht, the "Fairy," to ofifer a loyal welcome to their 
Sovereign on behalf of those they represented. They 
besought Her Majesty to permit them, in memory 
and in honor of her visit, to name the first spot she 
set her royal foot on in the beautiful Emerald Isle 
by the name of "Queenstown." A temporary hall or 
pavihon had been erected to receive Her Majesty on 
her landing. Above this pavilion, as the Queen and 
her husband and children entered, a flag bearing the 
name "Cork" was floating; as the royal party emerged 
to re-embark, another banner was seen tossing in the 
breeze, bearing the name "Queenstown." This 
romantic and magnificent harbor with its terraced 
hills in the background is the first sight of Ireland 
that greets the voyager across the Atlantic who has 
sailed from America to pay a visit to "England, home 
and beauty." 



470 ROYAL VISITS TO IRELAND. 

As the Queen rode through the streets the people 
were simply wild and ungovernable in their demon- 
strations of loyal delight; nor did Her Majesty fail 
to note the characteristic beauty of the daughters of 
Erin; their dark hair and dark eyes, and snowy teeth; 
and their well-shaped heads, poised on ample shoul- 
ders. In all this the Queen was sincerely in earnest. 
She had not yet visited the famous Blarney Castle, 
with the more famous kissing-stone. 

From Queenstown the party journeyed to Dublin. 
Here all that loyal hearts could devise was done to 
the very utterm.ost to assure the Queen of the hold 
she had on the affection and loyalty of Ireland. All 
who have studied the Irish character know that the 
Irish tongue is as eloquent as the Irish heart is true. 
Every conceivable form of benediction was lavished 
on the Queen and her companions. The Prince Con- 
sort and the royal children came in for their share 
of blessing. One warm-hearted matron called aloud 
from the midst of the throng : 

"Queen, darlint, make one o' the childer Prince 
Patrick, and ould Oireland will die for ye !" 

And sure enough on the first May-day of the next 
year, the Queen's seventh child was born, and she 
called him Prince Arthur Patrick, in honor of the 
Duke of Wellington, and of "Ould Oireland." 

Referring to this Dublin demonstration of 1849, the 
Queen says in her journal : 

"It was a wonderful and exciting scene, such masses 
of human beings, so enthusiastic, and so excited, yet 
such perfect order maintained. Then the number of 
the troops, the different bands stationed at certain 
distances, the waving of hats and handkerchiefs, the 



ROYAL VISITS TO IRELAND. 471 

bursts of welcome which rent the air, all made it a 
never-to-be-forgotten scene, especially when one 
reflected how lately the country had been in open 
revolt and under martial law." 

One touching, poetic little incident occurred during 
the royal progress through the streets of Dublin. 
Passing under one of the beautiful triumphal arches, 
Her Majesty noted that the carriage had almost come 
to a standstill, when to her great delight, and to the 
wonderment of the Prince and Princess, a beautiful 
white dove was let down into the Queen's lap. The 
dove was alive and very tame, and had an olive-branch 
in its mouth and twined about its neck. 

This little episode brought tears to the eyes of the 
Queen, and as she petted the little feathered messen- 
ger, she said : "So may it be. Peace ! Peace ! Peace !" 
The royal party visited the Irish National Schools, 
where now the children of Roman Catholic parents 
sat side by side with the children of Protestant par- 
ents, and shared equally and pleasantly the advantages 
of education. Thence they journeyed in turn to the 
Bank of Ireland, the Dublin University and the Royal 
Hospital at Kilmainham. Levees and drawmg- 
rooms followed, and the happy Dublin visit concluded 
with a grand Military Review in Phoenix Park. 

From Dublin to Belfast the royal party proceeded, 
and found in this great home of the linen manufacture 
the loyal welcome of Cork and Dublin repeated. Bel- 
fast was a great hive of industry even in these days. 
Its population of 120,000 were not wholly dependent 
on the succulent potato and the healthful buttermilk. 
There were so many mill chimneys pouring forth the 
smoke of industry, and factories busy far into the 



472 ROYAL VISITS TO IRELAND. 

night with their lighted windows, that one might fancy 
that the industrial energy and enterprise of Glasgow 
or Leeds or Manchester, had found a home in the land 
where the Shamrock grows. 

One of the best known men in Ireland just now 
was Father Mathew, the Apostle of Temperance, who 
with unquenchable zeal carried his crusade through 
the length and breadth of the land, and tens of thous- 
ands, charmed by his impassioned pleading, signed 
the pledge and became sober, industrious men. 

On leaving the shores of Ireland, the Queen went 
upon the paddle-box of the steamer and waved her 
handkerchief to her warm-hearted Irish subjects, who 
responded with long-continued cheering, and then 
with royal courtesy Her Majesty ordered the royal 
standard to be dipped three times in token of a royal 
farewell. So ended the Queen's first visit to the 
Emerald Isle. 

The happy influence of this visit may be judged 
in part by a single paragraph quoted from the Report 
of the Irish Education Commissioners for 1849, ^^ 
which reference is made to the royal visit to the head- 
quarters at Dublin : 

"By the country at large it has been hailed as an 
eminent proof of Her Majesty's wisdom and good- 
ness, and as peculiarly worthy of the daughter of that 
illustrious Prince who was the ardent advocate of the 
education of the poor, when denounced by many as 
dangerous novelty; and of their united education on 
just and comprehensive principles when most men 
regarded it as impracticable." 

In August of the year 1853, Her Majesty and the 
Court made a second visit to Ireland, the occasion 



ROYAL VISITS TO IRELAND. 473 

being the iiolding in Dublin of a great Industrial 
Exhibition, somewhat after the fashion and inspired 
by the success of the great Exhibition in the Crystal 
Palace in Hyde Park in 1851. Four years had elapsed 
since the Queen's first visit to Ireland. These years 
had been years of steady, happy progress. The tide 
of emigration had borne many away from the old 
land. America had become the home of thousands, 
who found in her vast stretches of untilled land, and 
in the varied occupations of cities, the prosperity their 
native land denied them. 

But Ireland was a happier and a more prosperous 
Ireland than when the Queen saw it in 1849. The 
towns were growing larger, markets were busier, the 
workhouses were less crowded. Factories were 
springing up here and there, railroads were being 
made, the mud cabin was giving way to a pleasant 
cottage. Interested as the Queen was in the Dublin 
Exhibition, she was not the less interested in the 
signs and tokens of a widespread, growing prosperity. 
The greeting received was just as hearty and enthusi- 
astic as on her former visit. After a somewhat pro- 
tracted stay at the Viceregal Lodge, the Queen 
returned to London, loving her Celtic subjects more 
than ever and entertaining brighter hopes for the 
future of Ireland. 

In the month of August, 1861, the saddest year 
of the Queen's Hfe, she made a tour of the beautiful 
Lakes of Killarney. 

"Tuesday, August 27, 1861. 

"At eleven o'clock we all started in our own socia- 
ble, and another of our carriages, and on ponies." 

In the early spring of 1900 we find Her Majesty 



474 ROYAL VISITS TO IRELAND. 

once again in Ireland. Despite April showers the 
Queen was able to take many drives in the neighbor- 
hood of Dublin; and if Her Majesty had been obliged 
finally to decline a journey so far afield as Belfast, 
she gave the residents of the Irish capital and its 
vicinity an abundance of opportunities to see their 
Sovereign. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 



MR. GLADSTONE AND THE IRISH CHURCH. 

Not less than John Bright was Mr. Gladstone a 
devoted friend of Ireland. With sympathies as wide 
as the world and a heart as large as humanity, he 
brooded over the sorrows of this beautiful land. 

He saw the Established Church, the church of the 
minority, trampling the Catholic Church beneath its 
feet and absorbing almost boundless wealth in a 
shameless fashion. The inner heart of this subject is 
ably discussed in the speech of John Bright, quoted 
on an earlier page. 

The facts are few but very impressive. In 1867 
the population of Ireland was about six millions. Of 
these six millions, four and a half millions belonged 
to the Roman Catholic Church. On Episcopal 
authority, the Established Protestant Church only 
numbered 700,000. This church arrogated to itself 
the title of "The Church of Ireland," totally ignoring 
four and a half millions of Catholics and half a miUion 
of Presbyterians. The endowment of this church of 
the 70,000 amounted to $70,000,000 at the very least, 
derived from National Property. This wealthy church 
seemed to the Irishman to be an insult to his religion 
and a mockery of his poverty. 

The Irishman was bound by ties of indescribable 
strength and complication to his own church. It 
was the teacher of that faith which especially com- 
mended itself to his nature and his temperament, 

475 



47G MR. GLADSTONE AND THE IRISH CHURCH. 

says McCarthy. It was made to be the symbol and 
the synonym of patriotism and nationality. Centuries 
of the cruel, futile attempt to force another relig-ion 
on him in the name of his English conquerors, had 
made him regard any efifort to change his faith, even 
by argument, as the attempt of a spy to persuade a 
soldier to forsake his f^ag. To abandon the Catholic 
Church was, for the Irishman, not merely to renounce 
his religion, but to betray his country. It seemed to 
him that he could not become a Protestant without 
also becoming a renegade to the national cause. The 
State Church set up in Ireland was to him a symbol 
of oppression. It was Gessler's hat stuck up in the 
market-place; only a slave would bow down to it. 
It was idle to tell him of the free spirit of Protestant- 
ism ; Protestantism stood represented for him by the 
authority which had oppressed his fellow-countrymen 
and fellow-Catholics for generations ; which had 
hunted men to the caves and the mountains for being 
Catholic, and had hanged and disemboweled them 
for being Irish. 

It was Mr. Gladstone's purpose, at one stroke, to 
destroy the insult and the mockery and give to 
Ireland the grand boon of religious equality. 

The writer well remembers this glorious campaign, 
and was proud to have a share in it. It was a brave, 
bold fight for religious freedom. What hard names 
they called the great leader! He was a "spoliator," 
a "robber," a "turncoat." How odd it seemed to me 
that Mr. Gladstone should be burned in efifigy in the 
country churchyards of England ! And stranger still 
that godly men from their pulpits should discover 
in him "The Man of Sin" spoken of in the Book of 



MR. GLADSTONE AND THE IRISH CHURCH. 477 

Revelation. Perhaps the disendowment hurt more 
than the disestablishment. The enormous surplus to 
be disposed of was the chief difficulty. 

Mr. George Barnett Smith, who knows all that is 
worth knowing about statistics, says : 

The tithe rent charge would yield $45,000,000; lands 
and perpetuity rents, $31,250,000; money, $3,750,000 
— total, $80,000,000 ; the present value of the property 
of the Irish Church. Of this, the bill would dispose 
of $43,250,000, viz., vested interests of incumbents, 
$24,500,000; curates, $4,000,000; lay compensation, 
$4,500,000; private endowments, $2,500,000; building 
charges, $1,250,000; commutation of the Maynooth 
Grant and the Regium Donum, $5,500,000, and 
expenses of the commission, $1,000,000. 

There would then remain, after every righteous 
claim had been generously dealt with, a surplus of 
between $35,000,000 and $40,000,000. 

The Bill passed and received the royal assent by 
commission on the 26th of July, 1869. 

There was much angry comment in church circles. 
But Ireland found that at least there was one great 
Englishman anxious to do justice to Ireland. 

Mr. Gladstone closed this great battle for religious 
equality in Ireland with these words : 

"The Church may have much to regret in respect to 
temporal splendor, yet the day is to come when it 
will be said of her, as of the temple of Jerusalem, 'that 
the glory of the latter house is greater than of the 
former;' and when the most loyal and faithful of her 
children will learn not to forget that at length the 
Parliament of England took courage, and the Irish 
Church was disestablished and disendowed." 



478 MR. GLADSTONE AND THE IRISH CHURCH. 

One of the saddest events in the later history of 
this distracted country occurred, just when it seemed 
as if the Government was prepared to hold out the 
oHve branch of peace. Mr. Forster, who had won the 
bard, unhappy name of "Buck-shot Forster," resigned. 
Mr. Chamberlain and Sir Charles Dilke were deeply 
in earnest in presenting a spirit of conciliation to the 
Irish people. They hoped for "a new departure" in 
the direction of amity and good will. Mr. Forster had 
been a conspicuous failure. Lord Cowper, the Irish 
Viceroy, also resigned. Lord Spencer became Vice- 
roy and Lord Frederick Cavendish succeeded Mr. 
Forster as Chief Secretary of Ireland. Surely a 
better day was dawning for this "Niobe of Nations !" 

The moment Earl Spencer was appointed Mr. Glad- 
stone released Mr. Parnell and the other agitators 
from prison. It was hoped that the agreement entered 
into with them and the bringing the Land Act into 
effect would set Ireland straight. 

On the i6th of May the new Lord Lieutenant made 
his entry into Dublin, Lord Frederick Cavendish of 
course with him. It was reported that as the carriages 
passed a man out of the crowd slipped up to the one 
in which Lord Frederick sat, and asked, "Which is 
the new Chief Secretary?" 'T am," was the civil 
reply. The man looked earnestly at him, and went 
back into the crowd. 

When the procession reached the Castle, Lord 
Frederick called a car, and was driving in it to his 
official residence across the Phoenix Park, but he hap- 
pened to meet Mr. Burke, who was a permanent Cas- 
tle official, and being desirous probably of talking the 
state of the country over with him, senthis car away 



MR. GLADSTONE AND THE IRISH CHURCH. 479 

and walked with him. It was a clear, lovely evening ; 
a public park — who could dream of danger at such an 
hour and in such a scene? But suddenly Mr. Burke 
was attacked from behind by a wretch with a huge 
butcher's knife. Lord Frederick turned at once, 
exclaiming, "You villain !" and struck at the assassin 
boldly with his only weapon, his umbrella. 

The murderer instantly attacked him also, and, 
assisted by two or three ruffians similarly armed, the 
two gentlemen were actually slashed to death with 
knives. Several people saw the scuffle, but did not 
interfere — did not, perhaps, understand what it meant ; 
for Lord Spencer himself saw it from a window, and 
thought that some roughs were at horseplay. When 
the poor victims were apparently dead the murderers 
sprang into a car they had kept ready for them and 
escaped in it. 

The horror felt in England was extreme; Ireland 
appeared to be a veritable land of blood. A Coercion 
Bill of the strictest kind was passed unanimously in 
Parliament in one sitting. 

The police used all their skill (for some time in 
vain) to discover the assassins, but did not succeed 
till the next year (January, 1883), when they arrested 
twenty men, whom they charged with committing the 
murders. Most of them were working men; but one, 
the master-fiend, was James Carey, a contractor, 
builder, and a member of the Dublin Town Council. 
He also made profession of a great amount of sanctity. 
The Town Council had been called together, of course, 
immediately after the murder, and this monster actu- 
ally proposed a vote of condolence to Lady Frederick 
Cavendish. When, however, he found himself in peril. 



480 MR. GLADSTONE AND THE IRISH CHURCH. 

he saved his hateful Hfe by turning informer on the 
others. He acknowledged that he was the leader of 
and inciter to the Phoenix Park murders ; that he gave 
the signal for the crime, and watched it being com- 
mitted. His evidence, confirmed by other testimony, 
brought the crime home to five men — the actual per- 
petrators : Brady, Curley, Michael Fagan, CafTrey 
and Timothy Kelly; they were all hanged. Three 
others who confessed their compHcity in the design 
were condemned to penal servitude for life. 

The miscreant Carey escaped free, but a just ven- 
geance overtook him. For some time he was pro- 
tected by the Government keeping him in the security 
of the jail ; but at length he was set free, took another 
name, and, with great precautions as to embarking, 
was sent to South Africa. But the avenger was on 
his track. An Irishman named O'Donnel had traced 
and followed him, embarked in the same ship, and, 
as they drew near Cape Town, shot the wretched 
Carey. 

O'Donnel was brought to England to be tried, and 
as there was no doubt that he had killed Carey, he 
was hanged. No one knew whether he had acted as 
the agent of the Land League or any other society, 
as he refused to explain his motive, and died silent. 

The Fenians with O'Donovan Rossa at their head 
now set to work with the merciless methods of phy- 
sical force. Their cruel crusade began on March 15, 
1883, when an attempt was made to blow up the 
offices of the Local Government Board, and a second 
to destroy the Times newspaper office. Fortunately 
the attempt on the Times was detected and prevented 



MR. GLADSTONE AND THE IRISH CHURCH, 481 

entirely, but the Local Government Board had one 
room shattered by the explosion. 

In consequence of these crimes a Bill was passed to 
amend the law relating to explosives. It was brought 
in on the 19th of April, and passed through both 
Houses of Parliament in two hours ; it received the 
Queen's assent at once, and became law in twenty- 
four hours. But it did not prevent a repetition of the 
attempts of the horrid dynamiters. At the end of 1883 
they succeeded in causing two explosions on the Met- 
ropolitan Railway, by one of which cruel injury was 
done to many innocent working people who were 
going home by train, inflicting much bodily injury, 
and rendering some of them incapable of ever again 
earning their bread. In February, 1884, Victoria Sta- 
tion was seriously damaged and one man hurt by an 
explosion of dynamite concealed in a portmanteau in 
the luggage-room. 

An attempt to blow up the Tower of London, and 
another to blow up the House of Commons, partially 
succeeded, and a great deal of mischief was done by 
them. 

Two men were arrested by the police for being 
concerned in these attempts ; they were convicted and 
sentenced to penal servitude for life. 

More recently an attempt has been made, happily 
frustrated, to blow up London Bridge. 

These enormities filled the people with horror and 
indignation. The miscreants, who did not care what 
harm they inflicted on harmless men or on helpless 
women and children, were certainly the last kind of 
people to be entrusted with the government of a 
nation. Poor Ireland had better never have had cham- 

81 



482 MR. GLADSTONE AND THE IRISH CHURCH.- 

pions than have found them in incendiaries and mur- 
derers. No man's Hfe was safe, apparently. The 
Premier himself had to be guarded by four police- 
men. 

A manufactory of dynamite was afterwards discov- 
ered at Birmingham, and here, too, the police were 
successful in securing the dynamiters, and they were 
all transported. 

With the same ardent desire for the well-being of 
Ireland Mr. Gladstone took up in turn the Land 
Question, the Education Question, and that wide- 
reaching, comprehensive question of Home Rule, 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 



THE SMITTEN MONARCH. 

The new century had scarcely started upon its 
untrodden course before all the world was startled 
with the sad tidings : "Queen Victoria is dying !" 
The Court was at Osborne. The last days of the vener- 
able Monarch were destined to be spent in a home 
that was dear to the Queen by the most gracious 
and tender memories of her long reign. 

Osborne became for the time being the center of 
the world, and all the world looked and listened, held 
its breath, and watched with tears and prayers for 
every message that came from the island home. All 
London was in gloom, and thousands paused and 
waited, expecting at every moment to hear the boom- 
ing of the great bell of St. Paul's that never breaks 
the silence except for some royal cause. 

The sons and daughters of the Queen hastened 
to the sorrowing scene, and it is pleasant to record 
that the aged monarch suffered but little pain and 
was conscious to the last. 

The two most conspicuous figures in the cham- 
ber of death were the Prince of Wales and the Queen's 
eldest grandson, William, Emperor of Germany. To 
her son and grandson the Queen directed her latest 
thoughts and spoke her dying words ; words that 
may have measureless influence on the future of 
Europe. 

483 



484 THE SMITTEN MONARCH. 

She pledged these mighty rulers of the coming 
years to avoid war and rule in peace. 

She died as a Queen should die, exerting her latest 
efforts on behalf of the peace and brotherhood of 
men. 

It is averred that at the very moment of dying 
the Queen gently pressed the hand of the Prince 
of Wales and murmured feebly : "My son 1" and so 
passed from life with all its cares to death with all 
its calm. 

At sunset of Tuesday, January 22nd, 1901, Queen 
Victoria died. At that brief announcement : "Queen 
Victoria is dead," the heart of Great Britain and of 
the world was smitten with a great sorrow. Never 
in the history of the world have four brief words held 
such infinite and exhaustless meanings. 

In the solemn death-chamber at Osborne, the Em- 
peror William grasped the hand of his bereaved uncle 
and was the first to hail him "King." 

The formal recognition of the Prince of Wales as 
successor to the late Queen was made in due order, 
and on the afternoon of Wednesday, the 23rd, the 
Privy Council at St. James' Palace, the oath of office 
was administered in the presence of two hundred 
councillors, and the Prince was acknowledged King. 

The first speech of King Edward the Seventh to his 
council is an important document and sounds the key- 
note of what we pray may be a long and prosperous 
reign. The King subscribed to the oath relating to 
the security of the church of Scotland, and made the 
following declaration : 

"Your Royal Highnesses, My Lords and Gentle- 
men — This is the most painful occasion on which I 



THE SMITTEN MONARCH. 485 

shall ever be called upon to address you. My first 
and melancholy duty is to announce to you the death 
of my beloved mother, the Queen, and I know how 
deeply you and the whole nation, and I think I may 
say the whole world, sympathize with me in the irrep- 
arable loss we have all sustained. I need hardly 
say that my constant endeavor will be to always walk 
in her footsteps in undertaking the heavy load which 
now devolves upon me. I am fully determined to be 
a constitutional sovereign in the strictest sense of 
the word, and so long as there is breath in my body 
to work for the good and amelioration of my people. 

"I have resolved to be known by the name of 
Edward, which has been borne by six of my ances- 
tors. In doing so I do not undervalue the name of 
Albert, which I inherit from my ever to be lamented 
great and wise father, who by universal consent is, 
I think, deservedly known by the name of Albert the 
Good, and I desire that his name should stand alone. 

"In conclusion, I trust to Parliament and the nation 
to support me in the arduous duties which now 
devolve upon me by inheritance, and to which I am 
determined to devote my whole strength during the 
remainder of my life." 

The following is the form by which the Privy Coun- 
cil proclaimed the Prince of Wales the successor to 
the throne : 

"Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God to call to 
His mercy our late sovereign lady Queen Victoria, of 
blessed and glorious memory, by whose decease the 
Imperial Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Brit- 
ain and Ireland is solely and rightfully come to the high 
and mighty Prince Albert Edward, we therefore, the 



486 THE SMITTEN MONARCH. 

lords spiritual and temporal of this realm, being here 
assisted with those of Her Late Majesty's Privy Coun- 
cil, with numbers of other principal gentlemen of 
quality, with the Lord Mayor, aldermen and citizens 
of London, do now hereby with one voice consent 
of tongue and heart to publish and proclaim that the 
high and mighty Prince Albert Edward is now by the 
death of our late Sovereign of happy memory become 
our only lawful and rightful liege lord Edward VIL, 
by grace of God King of the United Kingdom of 
Great Britain and Ireland, defender of the faith, Em- 
peror of India, to whom we do acknowledge all faith 
and constant obedience with all hearty and humble 
affection, beseeching God, by whom all Kings and 
Queens do reign, to bless the royal Prince Edward 
VII. with long and happy years to reign over us." 

Then follow the signatures of the Duke of York, 
the Duke of Connaught, the Duke of Cambridge, 
Prince Christian, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the 
Ministers, members of the Privy Council. 

The proclamation was read at St. James' Palace, 
at the Royal Exchange, from the steps of St. Paul's 
Cathedral, and subsequently in the provinces. 

The Queen lay in semi-state in Osborne House till 
Friday, the ist of February, when the solemn func- 
tions of the royal funeral began. 

The entrance to the dining-room, where the 
Queen's body rested, was beautifully draped with 
crimson and attached thereto were several gigantic 
wreaths from members of the household. Indian 
and Highland servants remained constantly on duty. 
The remains were guardeid by serttries leaning on 
their reversed rifles,- immovable as statues.. 



THE SMITTEN MONARCH. 487 

The most elaborate wreath, that from the King of 
Portugal, was brought by special messenger. It con- 
sisted of a great crown of lilies resting on a cushion of 
violets. 

At the head of the cofifin were the wreaths of the 
new King and Queen, while on either side were 
the offerings of the Emperor and Empress of Ger- 
many. At the foot was a beautiful floral crown with a 
golden "B" from Princess Beatrice. But little of the 
white satin-covered cofifin or the silk flag on which it 
rested was visible, being almost hidden by the mag- 
nificent white pall and crimson velvet robes of the 
insignia of the Order of the Garter, the whole being 
surmounted by a glittering diamond crown, which 
reflected the lights of the tapers, six feet high, in silver 
candlesticks. 

The pall was made by the students of the Kensing- 
ton School of Needlework, under the direction of 
Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. 

The sympathy of the American people with the 
bereaved English nation found many opportunities of 
expression. 

President McKinley ordered the flag at the White 
House at half mast. The following messages of con- 
dolence were sent,- to which King Edward the Sev- 
enth suitably responded : 

"Washington, January 22. 

"His Majesty the King, Osborne House, Isle of 
Wight: I have received with profound sorrow the 
lamentable tidings of the death of Her Majesty the 
Queen. Allow me, sir, to ofifer my sincere sympathy 
aod that of the American people in your personal 
ber^vement and in the loss Great Britain has suifered 



488 THE SMITTEN MONARCH. 

in the death of its venerable and illustrious Sovereign, 
whose noble life and beneficent influence have pro- 
moted the peace and won the affection of the world. 

"William McKinley." 
"Department of State, Washington, January 22. 

"Choatc, Ambassador, London : You will express 
to Lord Lansdowne the profound sorrow of the Gov- 
ernment and people of the United States at the death 
of the Queen, and the deep sympathy we feel with 
the people of the British Empire in their great afifiic- 
tion. John Hay." 

Of a thousand kindly expressions of appreciation 
on the part of distinguished Americans, we quote the 
impressive words of Ex-President Harrison : 

"No other death could have excited so general sor- 
row. There are persons in every nation other than 
Great Britain whose death would profoundly move 
the people of that nation, but Queen Victoria's death 
will bring real sadness to the hearts of more men and 
women than any other. More hearts pulsated with 
love for her and more knees bowed before her queenly 
personality than before the Queen of Great Britain. 

"I do not care to speculate as to the effect of the 
Queen's death upon European politics further than 
to say that a mighty influence on the side of peace 
has been lost. The British people will find it hard 
to adjust their minds and hearts to a succession. But 
the new Sovereign will not be denied an opportunity 
to win that dominion over the hearts of his people, 
which they yielded to his mother. 

"Benjamin HarrisGri." 

The Rev. W. Milburn, fbir many yiears the Blind 



THE SMITTEN MONARCH. 489 

Chaplain of the Senate, offered the following pathetic 
prayer in reference to the sad occasion : 

"For as much as it hath pleased Thee to remove 
out of this world the soul of the most illustrious ruler 
of the earth, after a reign of unexampled length, 
strength, dignity, power and glory, we come to pray 
that Thy grace and heavenly benediction shall rest 
upon her son, who is to succeed her in that eminent 
position. 

"Grant, we beseech Thee, that his sweet, dignified 
and gracious qualities of character, his long experi- 
ence in the position which he has filled with such 
fitness and eminence, may prepare him to enter upon 
this higher dignity with all its solemn responsibilities. 
Grant to him and his admirable wife Thy defense and 
protection, Thy guidance and support. And may the 
nation which he is called to rule rejoice in the benig- 
nant and admirable quality of his reign. Prosper 
the nation ; uphold its people in their great sorrow. 
Soothe and cheer them with the sense that their 
beloved Queen has entered into the rest which remains 
to the people of God; through Jesus Christ, our 
Savior." 

On Sunday, January 28th, 1901, the churches of 
London were crowded to hear sermons in honor of 
the dead Queen. The Archbishop of Canterbury 
preached at St. Paul's Cathedral, and the Venerable 
Dean Bradley preached at Westminster Abbey. The 
Dean was one of the few who still remain who was 
present at the coronation of Victoria in 1838. His 
reference to Her Majesty was most impressive and 
pathetic. All over the British Empire, and in many 



490 THE SMITTEN MONARCH. 

thousands of American pulpits, memorials of the 
Queen were presented. 

From every quarter of the late Queen's dominions, 
from the whole civilized world, words of sorrow have 
been spoken. 

On this memorable Sunday, a solemn service was held 
at Whippingham church. After which the Emperor 
William of Germ.any was invested with the distinction 
of a Field Marshal of the British Army, the sword 
of which v/as presented by the Duke of Connaught. 
Then followed the investiture of the insignia Order of 
the Garter in diamonds, a gift intended by the late 
Queen as a birthday present for her nephew. 

Emperor William, on learning of the King's inten- 
tion to appoint him a Field Marshal, sent the follow- 
ing telegram to Lord Salisbury : 

"The King, my august uncle, confers upon me the 
rank of a Field Marshal in his army, and informs me 
that my appointment will be published on my birth- 
day. I hasten to apprise you of my deep appreciation 
of so signal a mark of His Majesty's affection for me, 
and I rejoice to think that I shall be numbered among 
those of the highest rank in His Majesty's gallant 
army. william r. • 

These new ties will surely serve to bind England 
and Germany in closer bonds than ever they have 
known before. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 



THE LAST SAD RITES. 

The funeral of Queen Victoria was distinctively 
military in character, and assumed such dimensions 
as were never seen before. 

The spectacle at Cowes was profoundly impressive. 
All the mourners, including the women of the royal 
family, followed the gun carriage, containing the bier, 
afoot. The gun carriage was drawn by eight horses 
and attended by six men of the Royal Horse Artillery, 
whose gun detachment acted an escort all the way. 
The Queen's Highland Pipers played a lament from 
Osborne House to the Queen's Gate. From this point 
the bands of the Royal Marine Artillery, with muffled 
drums, conducted the body to the pier. 

The households of Queen Victoria and King 
Edward formed on the grounds, and followed afoot, 
which was preceded by mounted grooms. This pro- 
cession included Emperor William, the Duke of Con- 
naught, Prince Henry of Prussia, the Duke of York, 
Prince Christian and Prince Arthur of Connaught, 
Princesses Christian, Louise, and Beatrice, the 
Duchesses of Connaught and Albany, Princess Vic- 
toria Charles of Denmark, and Lady Lytton, lady-in- 
waiting, all afoot. Then followed military officers 
representing the corps of the district, the servants, 
and the tenants. 

Three thousand five hundred troops acted as guard 
491 



492 THE LAST SAD RITES. 

from Osborne drive to York avenue and to the pier. 
They marched with arms reversed, but saluted the 
coffin as it passed. 

Of all the ceremonies the naval was the finest 
pageant. The Alberta, with the body, slowly steamed 
along a line of battleships extending eight miles. 
Facing these giants of the British navy were smaller 
vessels and numerous foreign battleships. 

On Saturday, February 2, a guard of honor was 
mounted at the London stations, Victoria and Pad- 
dington, and at Buckingham Palace. At 9 o'clock 
the royal coffin was removed from Portsmouth to 
London, arriving at Victoria at 11 o'clock. On its 
arrival in London the royal coffin was taken from the 
carriage by an officer and twelve men of the Grena- 
dier Guards, and placed on a gun carriage, with the 
crown and cushion lying thereon. The procession 
then moved in the following order: 

An officer of the headquarters staff. 
Bands of the Household Cavalry. 

VOLUNTEERS. 

The First South Middlesex Rifles. 
The First Middlesex Engineers. 

The Tynemouth Artillery. 
The Warwickshire Yeomanry. 

THE COLONIAL CORRS. 

A detachment formed under the orders of the 
Colonial Office and an officer commanding the pro- 
visional battalion at Shorneclifife. 

MILITIA. 

The Third Battalion of Gordon Highlanders. 
The Third Battalion of Royal Welsh Fusiliers. 



THE LAST SAD RITES. 493 

The Fourth Battalion of Norfolks. 
The Honorable Artillery. 

INFANTRY. 

A detachment of the Army Veteran Department. 

The Army Pay Corps. 

The Army Chaplains' Department. 

Royal Medical Corps. 

Army Service Corps. 

Representatives of the Indian Army — Selected by 

India Office. 

INFANTRY OF THE LINE. 

The Fourth Battalion of the Rifle Brigade. 

The Royal Irish Fusiliers. 

The Second Battalion of the Highland Light 

Infantry. 

The Fourth Battalion of the King's Royal Rifle 

Corps. 

The Royal Fusiliers. 

The First Battalion of the Royal Lancasters. 

FOOT GUARD. 

The Irish Guards. 

The Scot Guards. 

The Coldstream Guards. 

The Grenadier Guards. 

The Corps of Royal Engineers. 

The Royal Regiment of Artillery. 

CAVALRY OF THE LINE. 

The Twenty-first Lancers. 
The Seventh Hussars. 
The First Life Guards. 

ROYAL NAVY, ETC. 

The Royal Marine Light Infantry, 
the Royal Marine Artillery. 



494 THE LAST SAD RITES. 

The Royal Navy. 

Military Attaches of Foreign Embassies. 

Headquarters Staff of the Army. 

Field Marshals. 

Band of the Royal Marine Light Infantry. 

The Guards' Band. 
Royal Engineers and Royal Artillery Bands. 
The Earl Marshal, Riding. 
Gold Sticks. 
Two White Staves. 
Gun carriage, surrounded by bearer party of non- 
commissioned officers of the guards, while 
outside of these, on either side, two 
lines, as follows: 
On the left of the carriage — The Lord Chamberlain, 
Aid-de-Camp, the Queen's Physician, Sir James 
Reid, Equerries, and Lord in Waiting. 
On the right of the carriage — The Lord Steward, 

Aids-de-Camp, Equerries, and Lord in Waiting. 

Immediately behind the gun carriage comes the King, 

riding. On his left, the Duke of Connaught; 

on his right. Emperor William, 

both riding. 

Following these come the Royal Family, Royal 

Representatives, and Master of the Horse, 

all riding. 

Four four-horse carriages, conveying the Queen and 

Princesses. 

The Kings of Belgium, Portugal, and the Hellenes, 

probably riding, closing the escort. 

The body of the Queen rested in the chapel of St. 
George, Windsor, on Sunday, when a memorial 



THE LAST SAD RITES. 495 

service was conducted by the leading prelates of the 
Church of England. 

On Monday, February 4th, the Queen was laid to 
rest at Frogmore, by the side of him whose life had 
been for more than a quarter of a century the inspir- 
ation and help, the joy and comfort of her early years. 

They were beautiful in their liveSj and in their death 
they are not now divided. 

So ends the story of the beautiful life of Victoria. 

Rest in silence and in calm, venerable monarch, 
rest! Thy long day's work is over, and night brings 
peace under its enfolding wings! The glory of thy 
reign will win new lustre as the years roll on. Thy 
sons and daughters to remotest years will tell of the 
glorious majesty of thy kingdom. Centuries hence, 
men will call thee Victoria the Great, and lips stirred 
with a tenderer enthusiasm will call thee Victoria the 
Good. The story of thy gracious reign, of thy noble 
ideal womanhood — the gentle wife, the tender mother, 
the faithful friend — will serve as a new idyl to enrich 
the far-ofif years. Thou hast left this great legacy of 
truth for thy children to cherish, embalmed in the 
memories of thy four-score years, that 

Kind hearts are more than coronets, 
And simple faith than Norman blood. 

Having served thy day and generation according to 
the will of God, thou hast fallen to sleep: the long, 
unending, dreamless sleep! Earth's "dreary noises" 
will never more disturb thy sacred slumbers. The 
war-drum will not wake thee from thy sweet sleep. 
The glad plaudits, of thy loyal people thou wilt hear 



496 THE LAST SAD RITES. 

no more. Hail! and Farewell! Thou hast entered 
the silent land, the land of everlasting peace, whither 
the love and tears, the loyalty and reverence of 
uncounted millions follow thee. 




Rfer^GlbnousvC 




IllujTniou&I^i 



